Feral Nights
by thetsunamifan
Summary: (Sequel to Kuroshitsuji II) It is the 20th century. Eternal child Ciel Phantomhive has intense cravings for human souls, and forms a contract with 16-year-old Sylvester Jay Carpenter, a young Earl with a gory secret. With Sebastian by his side, the young demon sees no threat to his life, but what he is unaware of are the extreme risks Sylvester is willing to take to reach his goal.
1. Chapter 1

A young boy sat motionless at the end of his bed. Looking down into his lap, he stared at a priceless sapphire compass, a true beauty with a white blue jay carved on its cover. He grasped it firmly in his hand, grazing his thumb over the clean artwork. Downstairs from his room, the boy could hear a hushed conversation going on.

"I've tolerated that thing for a moment too long." He recognized the hate-filled voice of his father.

"That 'thing' is our son," came a cry from the boy's mother. "We must love him more than life itself, and give him the care he deserves."

"Care?" the man mocked back to his wife. "Goddamn you. He doesn't deserve the roof we put over his head! He's a bloody satanist, and you know it; he admitted to it! We did not raise him this way. I sure as hell didn't."

In the darkness of his room, the crestfallen child remained stiffly seated as his parents continued their argument. As each moment passed, he clenched his fingers tighter around the compass in his palm, seeing no real hope for himself.

"I see you're in a tight situation," came a voice from behind the teen, in the darker corner of the room near the front of his bed. Deciding to ignore the stranger, the boy didn't respond and instead listened further into the arguing couple. Suddenly a sharp click sounded, followed by a cry of anguish.

"No, stop!" Sounds of a scuffle came up. "Please, you can't do this to our only son! He's all we have!"

Recognizing the cocking of his father's rifle, the boy ran his free hand over his forehead and through his black locks, the stress of the situation giving him a headache.

"Shouldn't you be afraid?" the stranger said, his voice sounding his own confusion. His voice sounded young and curious, seemingly unafraid but instead interested in the boy's behavior.

"My dad..." he began stiffly. "He gets drunk a lot. You get use to it... after so many years."

There were a few footsteps that stopped abruptly. The wife spoke out again, choking with tears, "You don't know what you're doing. We can handle this in the morning, can't we? If you think he's a danger to us then call the police... but this is murder!"

"It ain't sounding too bad at the moment, is it?" he retorted, slamming her against the wall and making his way up the staircase. Tears filled the child's eyes, though he tried to look strong in front of the stranger. Yet he knew exactly why this stranger was here.

"Is this what you want?" the figure asked. The boy's heart beat faster with each approaching footstep.

"Yes! I want this!" he jumped from his bed and turned to face the menacing figure, pulling his hair back from his face. A hand placed itself on his forehead, and the overwhelming headache was gone. He knew what he had to do.

"I order you... to kill him!"

The door swung open. There was a flash, and it was all over almost instantaneously.

* * *

"Why, could it be? Sylvester Jay Carpenter, it's my honor!"

Sylvester watched as his family relative bowed to him. His two toddler cousins squealed their greetings rushing past them as they went to play with the other children.

Looking back to his uncle, he said, "There's really no need to bow. Do have a good time, and welcome to my mansion." He dipped his head briefly as his uncle passed, only to look up again as another visitor came to enter. Today was Christmas Eve, and the Earl Carpenter was celebrating by throwing a decorative party in which his friends and relatives could attend. A feast was set out, as well as a huge Christmas tree in the corner. Everyone who came had a present put under the tree for the young Earl.

Once most of the important guests had arrived, Sylvester went to join his two aunts at a table.

"Well, if it isn't Sylvester." The woman from his mother's side, who had long dark brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes got up to hug her cherished nephew. "What a marvelous get-together this is."

"Thank you, Aunt Chloe. It is great to see you. And you," he added, "Aunt Veronica."

"The pleasure's all mine," the black haired and brown-eyed woman on his father's side returned.

"I'm always happy to see my family all together like this," Sylvester told them. "It reminds me I have people who will be there for me when I need it the most, right?"

They both nodded, Chloe adding, "Of course. We all love you so very much, dear."

"I love you, too," he replied, his own green eyes shining with his love. "Now, if you two beautiful ladies would excuse me for a minute..." Turning away from his aunts, the Earl walked across the room, picking up on three men speaking in low voices. Backing against the wall, Sylvester leaned in to listen.

"This kid's act is quite impressive, I'll give him that. I wonder just how far he's willing to go."

"Yeah," a different voice agreed. "If we can prove just what this rich brat is up to, I'm sure he'll take a ride to the hell he loves so much."

"Then come on," a third voice came in. "If we're carrying through with this, we need to check this mansion top to bottom. Let's go."

"Damn it," Sylvester whispered. Making sure not to alert the men, the teen returned to his aunts' table at the ballroom.

"I apologize for leaving so abruptly, miladies," he panted. "I have some business to attend to."

"What sort of business could a child be worried about?" Veronica questioned.

"He's 16 years old," Chloe told her. "He may be a child, but he's old enough to have his worries. Go on, then," she told Sylvester. "We understand."

Sylvester smiled. "Thank you." With that, he ran down the ballroom to the far corner, where the chandeliers' lights couldn't quite reach the shadows. A child sat at a table, sipping tea as he watched the people dance and have a good time. Behind him stood a butler dressed in black.

"Aw, it's too bad you didn't even bother to dress appropriately for the occasion," Sylvester teased, seeing as the two were both in black. "I shouldn't have to tell you to be proper."

"Was there something that you needed, Sylvester?" asked the child, putting his teacup down. His navy-blue hair appeared black in the shadows, his mismatched eyes empty of any light source.

"Yes." Sylvester's expression became more serious. "There's a group of men who were just talking shit about me. I think they know what I've been doing these past months. I overheard about three of them, but I could bet there's more. They plan to search the mansion. And that's where you come in, Ciel."

Ciel looked up from his cup and smirked up at the teen. "Go on."

"I need you to make sure they die. I can't afford anything to happen to my reputation. Therefore, I cannot allow any mistakes on your part. Am I understood?"

"Sebastian, my coat."

"My lord." Ciel rose from his seat and allowed his butler to cover him. Then he made his way over to Sylvester. Holding onto his shoulder with a small, demonic hand, he stretched up and leaned into Sylvester's ear.

"If you want to make sure I do it right, you know what to say..." Sylvester suppressed the shudder that rose through his spine as the demon whispered softly to him, hot breath warming his neck.

"C-Ciel," Sylvester said. "I order you... kill the men who are out to get me!"

Ciel backed away and bent his head in respect. "Yes, Sylvester."


	2. Chapter 2

"My lord, is something wrong?"

Sebastian looked on as his young master stood silently before him. They were halfway up the stairs to the attic, where the strange group of men were plotting the revelation of the Earl Carpenter's secret.

"Of course not," Ciel replied edgily. But indeed, Ciel had begun to feel weary, almost to the point of falling backwards into Sebastian. But Ciel would not allow such humiliation while carrying out an order. There was absolutely no way he would let that demon butler think even for a minute that he couldn't do something so simple as to slaughter a few humans.

At last, Ciel forced himself up the remainder of the steps. He could make out hushed sounds from another room further down the attic. Wanting a closer look, Ciel approached with his body close to the wall, peering into the shadows of the next room. He could easily make out a tall man in a suit with a cigarette dangling between his fingers. Peeking further, Ciel saw at least seven other men, all with guns.

"It would appear they wish to start a fight," Sebastian thought aloud into Ciel's ear, making him jump slightly.

"Be quiet," Ciel scolded in a whisper. "They might hear us."

"If everything goes as planned," began the man in the suit, "this little murderer will be put back in his place. Remember: We don't want to hurt anyone else. This is for the good of everyone. But we can't tolerate someone getting in our way. This must be carried out smoothly - or it won't work." The men all nodded in unison. "None of you shall be discovered," he continued. "If you are to be seen, you are to report back with the victim at hand."

"And just _what _is this all about?"

There were gasps as the group of men watched the demon enter the room. Sebastian stayed back at the doorway, allowing his young master to handle this situation alone.

"There's a party down there," Ciel told them. "Everyone's having a wonderful time, and all of you are up here alone?" Ciel looked up at them with eyes that revealed childish curiosity.

"Look, kid," said the suited man. "This has nothing to do with children like yourself. Now get on out of here and back to your parents, got it?"

"You're all missing out on the fun!" Ciel ignored him. "For the adults there's gambling, food, women... surely you're interested? A bunch of prostitutes like yourselves, the Martinez family."

The man pulled out a gun, the rest of the group following. "Wh-What else do you know about us?" he stammered.

"What else is there? You're a bunch of simple men. It shouldn't be hard to get rid of you..." Ciel approached even further, and his figure became more apparent.

"Wait, what's that on his eye?" asked one of the family. "Alright, this is freaking me out! Is this some sorta game?"

"You could say that." Ciel stopped in front of the suited man. "I suggest you all leave now, if you know what's good for you. I don't appreciate anyone threatening the Earl."

"Oh, but master?" Sebastian said from the background, faking a frown. "What about your order?"

"Don't worry about it, Sebastian. I can handle this."

The man turned on Ciel. "No, this ends here!" He, along with the rest of the family, pulled their triggers. Gunfire smoke filled the dark attic room, blinding everyone for a brief moment. When it cleared, there showed the impossible image of a live demon child and his butler.

"H-H...How..." In between his fingers, Ciel held the bullets he'd nearly been shot with. Behind him Sebastian stood leaning over, his arms stretched in the case his young master missed any stray bullets.

"I've told you before, I don't need any help," Ciel mumbled, recalling his incident on the staircase. Ignoring the cries of protest and disbelief, Ciel leaped gracefully at the family and shot each and every man in turn, in a majestic manner that only a demon could perform. Blood flying, Ciel suddenly became dizzy, and felt himself land back into Sebastian's arms. He tried to protest, but all that escaped his mouth were small, childish whimpers that he failed to form into words.

"It seems you are becoming sick," Sebastian whispered softly. "Your order has been completed; it is alright to relax now, my lord."

_What if Sylvester wonders where I am? _ Ciel screamed silently in his own thoughts. _I can't let him see me like this... he'll think I'm weak. Sebastian... _But the cloudiness of his mind was too overwhelming, and soon he gave way to the darkness.

Ciel awoke to find himself in bed, surrounded by the comfort of the walls of the room Sylvester had given him. Climbing out of bed, he found himself in his new black pajamas Sylvester had bought for him, picked out by Sebastian. Ciel pulled the curtains to find a soft sky with the sun peaking out over the horizon. Although the peacefulness welcomed him, Ciel ignored it. _Did I truly fulfill the order? Have I missed some of the men? Is Sylvester unharmed? _Frightened by the possibility of having broken the contract, Ciel went for the door, swinging it open and fleeing the room. Getting out of his pajamas was the last thing on his mind. _Where is he?!_

Rushing downstairs, Ciel caught sight of the 16-year-old sitting alone in front of the Christmas tree Sebastian had set up the other day, opening presents.

"Ciel!" Sylvester called. "I wanted to wake you, but Sebastian said you were sick."

Ciel spotted his butler by the kitchen doorway and looked on with rage. Sebastian simply stood there with a teasing smile.

"The presents I've gotten have been decent so far. Nothing real exciting. But there's plenty to go!" Sylvester smiled up at Ciel, suddenly realizing how angry he looked. "I got one for you, too."

Ciel blinked at the teenager with surprise. "You did?"

"Of course I did. You're still a kid, aren't you?" he teased. "Come on."

Reluctantly, Ciel sat down as Sylvester handed him a box with blue wrapping paper. Ciel hesitated.

"It won't bite you," Sylvester chuckled. "Well, I don't think it will..."

Ciel unwrapped and opened the box to reveal a lump at the bottom. "What is-" It suddenly started to move, and the box tumbled over and showed a puppy with black and brown fur.

"When I asked if you liked pets, Sebastian said you had a dog before," Sylvester explained.

Ciel stared dumbfounded and speechless at the thing sniffing his toes. What a mongrel!

"While you're sick," Sylvester added, "You'll have a warm puppy to keep you company." Ciel could tell Sylvester could hardly hold back his laughter. (In fact, tears were starting to form.)

Ciel noticed Sebastian chuckling. "And just what are you laughing about? Honestly, Sebastian, why on Earth would you do this to me?"

Sebastian now looked up, his hand to his chest and his bloody red eyes gleaming with amusement. "If I couldn't do this much for my young master, then what kind of butler would I be?"


	3. Chapter 3

The day dragged by slowly. Ciel ended up ignoring the troublesome puppy that kept at his heels as if it knew Ciel was its master. When Sylvester had finished opening each of his presents, he finally rose to meet Ciel.

"That took longer than I'd intended." He chuckled awkwardly. "Ciel, what is it?"

Ciel looked up at the Earl. "About the men... I completed the task. Now, what are we to do with the bodies?"

"I don't think you'll have to worry. I've already decided this, in fact, and they're down in the basement."

"Very well," Ciel replied, allowing a small cough to escape him. Sylvester opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Ciel's hand risen in the air.

"I'm alright," he murmured. "Nothing a demon can't handle. So, what did I miss at the party?" Ciel's expression lightened up a bit. "No need to leave me in the dark, after all."

Sylvester returned the rare friendly smile. "Actually, not much happened other than that incident. Everyone seemed to have a grand time, especially the children. I swear I saw one stealing one of my gifts!"

_Too bad it wasn't the dog, _Ciel thought grumpily.

"Aw, Ciel, I just remembered..." Sylvester muttered, scratching the back of his head and not making direct eye contact. "Tomorrow we're suppose to continue our search, but now that you're sick and all..."

"What? I told you, I'm fine!" Ciel snapped. "Honestly, it was a bit of dizziness, nothing more."

"Dizziness? That's all?" Sylvester challenged. "You look quite out of proportions to me."

Ciel grunted with indignation, clenching his fists furiously. He looked up to see Sebastian walking over to stop at his side.

"My lord, you really should be resting," he suggested. "Then perhaps tomorrow you will be up to the trip."

"Nonsense, Sebastian. I am perfectly fine, and you know it!"

Sylvester narrowed his eyes at the disobedient Phantomhive. "Ciel, when we formed our contract, you became my bodyguard and follow the orders I give you. So what good will you be if you become too sick to walk?" When Ciel didn't respond, he concluded, "I order you to stay in bed the rest of the day and allow Sebastian and I to care for you without protest. Go on."

An outraged Ciel was carried up to bed by Sebastian (followed closely by the still-unnamed puppy).

"I believe this is for the best, my lord," Sebastian told Ciel as he set him down on his bed. "This may be a side-effect of becoming a demon. It should pass."

"It is interfering with the contract," Ciel retorted hotly. "If Sylvester believes I am too weak to join him, he won't allow me to come."

"Or he shall put it off," Sebastian said. "Honestly, my lord, have you ever thought of that? If the child knows he's to face danger, he won't leave unaccompanied by you."

"Yes, I would think you're right," Ciel murmured after a moment of thought. Just then, the puppy jumped up on the bed and tumbled forward, yapping excessively.

Ciel rolled his eyes, face-palming softly against his aching head. "Sebastian, get rid of that horrid creature."

Sebastian sighed. "As you wish, my young lord." Picking up the pup, Sebastian let it out of the room and shut the door, remaining inside himself. "I shall remain at your bedside if you need anything else, young master." With that being said, he sat himself down at the edge of Ciel's bed. Ciel was about to protest, just in time remembering the order not to resist any help offered. Sighing softly, Ciel rested his head into the pillow, squirming around under the covers until he found a comfortable position, and let himself drift off under the older demon's watchful gaze.

* * *

_"Ciel...? Ciel, get up! Ciel!"_

Ciel opened his eyes to see Sylvester leaning over him. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ciel sat up. "What is it?"

"If you're still up for it, I wish to leave now."

Ciel blinked. "Yes... of course." Sylvester left the room, allowing Sebastian to dress Ciel and come downstairs. Sylvester waited patiently at the door, arms folded as he studied his young bodyguard.

"Ready?" he asked, opening the door.

"Of course." A glossy black car was parked just outside the mansion. Sylvester hopped in the driver's seat; Ciel held back for a moment, looking back at Sebastian who remained by the mansion door.

"I don't think we'll be needing you for this part," Ciel told him. "You can stay and care for the house. I've gotten much better since yesterday."

Sebastian bowed his head. "Certainly, young master. I wish you both the best of luck."

Ciel nodded, finally entering the passenger's seat. After the car had made its way out of the horseshoe driveway, Sebastian closed the door behind him.

"Lucky I got my driver's permit," Sylvester said. "I've gotten better at driving lately."

"I can see," Ciel mumbled, gazing out the window.

Sylvester noticed his strange behavior. "You're quite out of it, aren't you?" He chuckled. "C'mon, lighten up. Don't let the cold weather get you down."

Ciel stared at him. "You're in a good mood, considering the circumstances."

Sylvester sighed, releasing a cloud of warm breath into the cold air. "It's the holidays. I should at least pretend I have reason to be happy, shouldn't I?"

"No, I would think not."

Sylvester didn't reply, letting them both sink into an awkward silence. An hour passed; storm clouds were beginning to form. Not several minutes later snow was pouring down.

"Let's stop until this blows over," Sylvester yelled over the snowstorm. Wind shrieked furiously, hail pounding relentlessly against the car and reflecting off the windows. He was hardly able to park the car at a gas station before a sharp squeal indicated a crash.

"That happened quickly," Sylvester panted. "I guess we'll just have to wait it out."

The words had barely left his mouth before ambulances sounded. Hidden within the snow and hail were blurred flashing lights. People were fleeing their cars for the nearest shelter, some children getting blown a short distance by the wind. Umbrellas were knocked from tight grips, disappearing into the foggy sky of the storm.

"I don't think the car will hold for much longer," Ciel commented. "Let's get you inside."

Sylvester opened his mouth against Ciel, but thought better. "Alright."

Opening and closing their doors in a rush, the two ducked their heads against the hail as they ran for the gas station. A bell lurched as the door swung open and shut again. Panting, the young teens slowly took in their barrings. The power had gone out already, and a few families seemed to be wandering the store, drenched head-to-toe.

"What a nasty storm out there." Ciel turned to see a male clerk behind the counter, rubbing his head with a buff hand. "Only a fool would dare drive in that."

Sylvester leaned against the wall window, staring out at the vast blizzard. "I wonder how many people are dead." When he saw the look the clerk was giving him, he quickly added, "From car crashes and the sort, I mean."

"Yeah, poor suckers," the man agreed in a low voice, staring at the floor.

"H-Hey..." A voice came from behind an aisle of bagged candies. "You're the Earl Carpenter, right?"

Sylvester turned his head. "That's me."

A child of no more than ten years revealed himself from the shadows. "I've heard much about you... but I would never have guessed to see you in real life!"

Sylvester smirked. "Well then, Sylvester J. Carpenter at your service. And who might you be?"

The boy smiled wider. "I'm Timothy, Timmy for short!" The boy's pale blue eyes sparkled at the very sight of the Earl.

"An honor to meet your acquaintance, Timmy. And might I say," he added, now facing him full-bodied, "it's always a great pleasure to see a child as polite as yourself roaming London. It proves there's still hope for us yet."

Sylvester noticed the child's confused expression. "Pardon me. Just older folk talk, that's all."

"Come, Sylvester." Ciel approached the older teen. "The hail has stopped for now. Who knows for how long this will continue. We should be moving whenever we get the chance."

Sylvester nodded curtly. "Yes, you're right. So if you'll excuse me," he said, smiling at Timmy. "I have some business to take care of. Perhaps we shall meet again someday."

Timmy clasped his hands together. "Someday soon, I hope!"

Ciel opened the door and followed the Earl out. Luckily the car only suffered a small dent to the trunk.

"Good luck!" Timmy called out. Sylvester offered a short wave before escaping into the safety of the car, immediately starting it up and pulling out of the gas station's parking lot.

"What a bother," Ciel muttered. "An utter waste of our time. My time."

"Get over it," Sylvester seethed. "I promise you'll get my soul one way or another, until then it doesn't help complaining."

"I am not complaining," Ciel shot back. "I believe you are becoming sidetracked. The contract states that I am to protect you and follow your orders, while you seek out the identity of whoever owns that compass, therefore discovering who murdered the girl you loved and carrying out your revenge. Recently I've seen you've been slacking on your part, have you not?"

Sylvester peered at the demon Phantomhive. "No."

"Really?" Ciel scoffed him. "When was the last time we went in search, like this very moment? You did not hire me as your butler; I serve to protect you while you work. You have little time to rest, let alone get distracted-"

"Damn you, Ciel!"

...

Focusing his eyes directly on the rode, the Earl went on, "Don't you think I sometimes want to be happier than I am now, constantly reminded of what happened in my past? Revolving my life around finding the owner of that compass and getting revenge won't help me keep whatever sanity I have left. I suffer each day wallowing in my own sorrow, forgetting that there's more to life than... this!"

Reaching under his black silk hat, Sylvester pulled out the sapphire compass. The white blue jay on its cover was illuminated greatly by the flashing lightning that filled the entire sky with its deathly glare.

"If I don't make it seem as if my life was worth living before you eat my soul, what would my goal in life be? Hatred? What would be the point of me ever being born?"

Ciel stared directly at the boy. "Are you willing to break the contract?"

Sylvester huffed, eyes still focused ahead of him. "Of course not... it's too late for that."

Ciel's eyes became a red, demonic coloring. "Wouldn't you think."

"I'm done talking to you, Ciel. All you need to know is I'm not going to threaten the contract, no matter how far regret takes me."

"How can I be sure of that?" Ciel challenged.

"Because, Ciel... you should know. I never lie to you." Sylvester turned to stare into Ciel's red glare. "I mean it."

Ciel broke eye contact, accepting his words. Ciel knew fully well what Sylvester was capable of, but had the urge to challenge Sylvester's dedication to the contract. Although the Earl Carpenter rarely gave way to his own confusion, he was still human. If there was a spider's thread of hope for him left, he may even argue with his very own personal conflict to climb back up the fragile thread.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where the hell are we?"

Ciel woke to find Sylvester had parked the car in front of an abandoned building. The blizzard had nearly reached its conclusion; all that remained were drifting snowflakes and dark green fog that continuously covered and uncovered the crescent moon. Its pale light highlighted the building with a soft, silvery glow.

"I have some business to take care of, if it's all the same with you." Ciel turned his head to find the teen's hair covering his dim-lit eyes. 'You don't have to come in. It'll be quick and there's nothing and no one in there that would dare cause me any harm."

Ciel stretched his arms up with a yawn. "I might as well come in with you, despite what you believe."

Sylvester tensed. "I know this is your first time here and everything, but you can believe me."

"I know. Is it that you don't want me to join you?"

Giving up, Sylvester flung open his door. "Let's go."

Together in tense silence, they approached the rotten wooden door. Ciel turned the loose knob and followed Sylvester inside. Far above was a creaky ceiling, too far up in the shadows to make out. Fog pressed up against all available windows, shielding each room from any light source from the outside. A cold breeze sent a shiver up Sylvester's spine.

"I'm here," he called. "And I know you're here... come on out."

A dark, shadowed figure emerged from an upstairs doorway, leaning against the railing and staring down at the two of them. "Earl Carpenter, you're late. And you've a friend, eh? Is this an offering?"

"No." Sylvester's voice rose irritably. "I have the bodies in the trunk. They're fresh, much to your liking. So, I guess now it's time to pay up your end of the bargain."

"Wait, wait wait wait." The man rose his hand to stop him. "I wish to _see _them first."

From the two staircases on either side of the large entry room of the building came heavily armed men. Walking past the teens, they joined together at the door, exiting with their intent of retrieving the bodies.

"Oh, I see," said the man suddenly, having not moved from his spot. "This here is your little bodyguard. I've heard you mention him once or twice before."

"That's correct," Sylvester replied calmly.

"I thought he'd be bigger... though he _does _look quite appetizing, to say the least."

A flash of moonlight revealed the man. Ciel caught a glimpse of the man's "face", which consisted of burns and brutal scars with one dark eye staring steadily down at the two of them. When light gave way to fog again, Sylvester spoke.

"Well, he's certainly not for sale, so you can lay off with the petty comments immediately."

The man seemed to frown. "Aw, alright then. I got what I wanted. Oh, which reminds me... you've been waiting so patiently for your part. Here you go." Slow footsteps came forth, and within the man's arms held a small suitcase. Walking down the steps with frail legs, he set the object on the dusty, broken-down floor. "Here."

As the figure stepped back, Sylvester came up and retrieved what he wanted. "Come, Ciel, we're done here." As if in answer there came a slam and the men returned, dragging the lifeless carcasses of humans along with them. Ciel stared profoundly as they disappeared from his sight.

"I do hope you'll have more offerings for me soon, Earl," said the scarred man, suddenly back where he'd been a moment ago, at the railing. "Hard as it may be to believe, you seem the only one capable of carrying out these little missions for me. They do me a great deal of good, and I'm quite pleased to have arranged this partnership of ours. Do come back soon." Turning the other way, he walked off in the direction the bodies had been taken, until finally he disappeared from sight.

Throwing the suitcase in the trunk, Sylvester hurried to the car and they fled the abandoned area. Ciel eyed him cautiously as they drove along the thick, snowy road. "So that's how this charade of yours plays out."

Sylvester didn't bother looking back. "Yeah, sure. Let's just say he's the reason I'm able to say I'm rich."

"He doesn't look as if he's worth trusting," Ciel said.

"It doesn't matter. For now, he's all I've got. Besides, if he does betray me, I've always got you. Right?"

Ciel now looked directly at his master, though he was still staring unblinking at the road ahead. "Of course," was all he said.

Sylvester closed his eyes tightly for a few brief seconds. "As long as you never leave or betray me, Ciel, I will be alright. I can keep my faith in someone to keep me going, since I can't even trust myself sometimes. I will get through this, and live until you eat my soul. Right?"

Ciel repeated himself, turning his head aside. He decided to stare into the engulfing fog until he drifted off again.

"Welcome back. I have prepared the evening meal. I've also made a few arrangements to meet the puppy's needs."

"Thank you, Sebastian," Sylvester said, as Ciel gave Sebastian their coats. "Speaking of which... Ciel, what did you name it?"

"I haven't."

Sylvester frowned. "Why not? In fact, why not do so now?"

Ciel scoffed him. "I have no interest in that thing. I've no use for it. When you're gone, I certainly will not be taking care of it."

"Sebastian, any ideas?" Sylvester asked, giving up on him.

Sebastian put a hand to his lip in thought. "His troublesome behavior does remind me of a certain dog, wouldn't you agree, my young lord?"

Ciel looked up at him. "Oh, Sebastian, you don't mean... ugh, I thought you never even liked Pluto!"

"Pluto?" Sylvester smiled. "You've had a dog before, Ciel?"

"Yes," Ciel murmured. "A demon hound."

"I like it," Sylvester announced. "It's better than calling him 'it'. Pluto it is!"

Ciel face-palmed him. "Very well, but Sebastian will be tending to its needs." Peeking up, he added, "That's an order."

Sebastian smiled. "As you wish, young master."

Sylvester released a long sigh. "Fine by me. I'm too tired to care right now... goodnight. Or whatever's left of it." Sylvester carried the suitcase upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him.

Ciel began walking away, before Sebastian planted himself in front of him.

"What the devil is it?" he yawned. "I wish to retire."

"You have been drowsy lately," Sebastian commented, placing a hand against Ciel's forehead. "Are you sure you're over being sick?"

Ciel smacked his butler's hand aside. "Don't be tedious. Nothing a demon can't handle." His mismatched eyes sank into a deep shade of red with slit pupils.

"Still... there may be reason to worry." Sebastian sighed, smiling softly down at Ciel. "No matter. Let's get you prepared for bed now."

Ciel sat on his bed studying Sebastian as he buttoned his pajamas. "Do you ever have regrets?"

Sebastian looked up with a puzzled expression. "Regrets, my lord?"

"Yes." Ciel looked on with half-closed eyes. "Do you?"

A brief silence was ended with a small sigh. "I'm afraid I cannot say." He finished and stood up, placing a hand to his chest. "Goodnight-"

"Wait," Ciel said. "That can't be all. I want to know if you regret... becoming my butler."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, but Ciel held the stare fearlessly. Sighing again, he said, "If you are asking if I am upset that I am unable to eat your soul, then I can confirm that much as being true. That being said, I am to remain your faithful butler until the day I eat your soul." He knelt before his master. "I will be here for you until the very end." He looked up with eyes that revealed no emotion such as love or kindness. "Until your throne crumbles and your brilliant crown rusts, my lord."

"Sebastian," Ciel whispered, escaping under the covers. "I want you to stay in here tonight, with me."

"With you, my lord?" Sebastian's puzzlement returned. "Do you fear?"

"What is there to fear?" Ciel asked. "I want you to always remain at my side. I order you to stay with me all night, as I sleep. Do you understand?"

Sebastian sat down beside Ciel's resting head. "Yes, my young lord."

_He must hate me... _Ciel thought, struggling to keep his eyes open as he made eye contact with his demonic butler. _He has nothing to gain... not anymore._

Giving up his fight with the waking world, Ciel allowed the foggy darkness to consume his thoughts, too exhausted even to turn his back to Sebastian. As his young master sank deeper and deeper into a dreamless state, Sebastian's eyes grew colder. Using his teeth, he removed the white glove from his marked hand, letting it travel through Ciel's hair near where the child's own contract mark was placed. Mumbling weakly in his sleep, he appeared vulnerable.

"Until the end," Sebastian whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Ciel watched as Sylvester placed a suitcase on the dining room table and filled it with clothing.

"You want so badly for me to keep up with the contract," Sylvester huffed, "Fine, then. Our next destination is outside of London; we'll be taking a plane there. Just give me time to pack and we'll head to the airport. I don't know who'll take care of Pluto..." He added, looking at the puppy who'd been named after a demon hound. "Unless you're willing to leave Sebastian behind again."

"No, I would prefer not to," Ciel replied. "But I'm sure it will be fine until we get back."

"Really?" Sylvester said. "Our trip will last for at least a month as we gather the information we need. I mean, I could hire someone-"

"Nonsense." Sebastian stepped into the picture. "We could take him with us, after all."

Ciel was appalled. "You, of all people, Sebastian...!"

Sylvester looked aside in thought. "You might be right, Sebastian. We wouldn't want to leave the puppy alone with some stranger already... he just got here, after all. I want to make sure he's comfortable with us, first."

Ciel winced, peering at his butler with dissatisfaction. "I'm sure that's not what he had in mind, but very well. I'm not quite in the mood to argue about this."

As Sebastian packed the trunk, Sylvester and Ciel went for the front seats.

"Hey, why don't you let Sebastian have the front," Sylvester told Ciel. "He's older, after all."

Resisting the urge to protest, Ciel stiffly retreated to the back seat. As Sebastian closed the passenger's door behind him, he looked back.

"Are you all set, my lord?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"Get on with it, Sylvester," Ciel muttered.

Sylvester put the vehicle in drive and set off for the nearest airport. Pluto sat in the back with Ciel, constantly yapping and jumping around. Supremely irritated (with it only being 7:00 AM), young Phantomhive leaned against the car door, letting the world on the other side of the window transfix him.

The car ride was a silent one. There was nothing to discuss; their mission had been made clear during their last quest. A close relative to Earl Carpenter's late lover, who was known as Winter Blackwell, had been closely acquainted with another, more or less lost relative of the Blackwells who had been cast aside, outside of London's borders. In fact, off the coast of the United Kingdom and out towards Norway. This relative claimed for their family off the borders to have specific knowledge about the cause of Winter's death. That was all that was said on the matter, and so the only way for Sylvester to find whether this was true was to find the lone Blackwell himself. The relative he'd spoken with had given him the exact location of the other's whereabouts in Norway.

When the three arrived at the airport, Sebastian handled getting their suitcases and the caged Pluto situated. Sylvester looked up their flight's time and sat down, waiting for Sebastian to return. Their scheduled flight left shortly.

"Why not sit down, Ciel?" Sylvester asked his bodyguard, a bit of an edge to his voice.

"Sebastian should be back soon," was all he said.

The butler was soon gone for more than an hour; Sylvester became apprehensive.

"He'd better be back before our plane leaves, or I'm leavin' without him," Sylvester declared, fear in his eyes.

_Where is that damn demon, _Ciel thought, absorbing Sylvester's own worry.

"That's it," Sylvester snapped after another half hour, "I'm looking for him. Come on, Ciel."

_Nothing could have happened to him, right? _Ciel wondered as he ran after his master. _There's no way-_

He paused mid-thought when he caught sight of his demonic butler. Armed guards were surrounding him, as well as the whole airport; outside every window stood men in heavy black suits with guns and the sort.

"But let me assure you," Sebastian was saying, "The Earl Carpenter is not-"

The footfall caught his attention, and the demon turned with dread in his eyes.

"There he is!" Yelled the head of the guards. "Sylvester J. Carpenter, you know your crimes - selling human organs on the black market! You are hereby under arrest-"

"Oh, really?" asked the Earl, flipping his black hair out of his face to reveal scornful green eyes. "Who's going to detain me... your little men you have on hand?" He smirked at the guards who'd by now risen their guns. "Please, I've had my fill of jokes already. If you might, I ask you to leave at once, for you've caught me in a good mood today and I'm willing to let you lads off the hook with a warning."

"I assume you think this is a game?" yelled the man, who'd taken off his helmet to show graying brown hair and hazel eyes. "You don't know the beginning of this, boy! Human lives have been sacrificed for your own well-being! You're being faced with the consequence of death, my dear boy!"

"So I am," Sylvester sneered. "But I think that _you're _in an even greater amount of danger than I am at the moment."

"How so?" the man asked, as airport guards began joining with the police with their own heavy weaponry. All guns were targeted directly at the young Earl.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Sylvester chuckled.

_"How so?" _he repeated with exasperation.

"It's a secret."

The man sighed. "I'm not here to play games with you, Carpenter. Detain him!"

"Ciel, you know what to do," Sylvester said calmly, his eyes closed as footsteps grew closer.

"Of course," Ciel replied. _There are so many of them, _the young demon thought. _I'll be needing Sebastian for this, as well._

Accompanied by Sebastian, Ciel Phantomhive fell into a battle with the unrelenting guards. This was just more practice for him; he'd been meaning to learn how to twist the limbs of his victims like Sebastian could do so well. He focused diligently on the aging brown-haired man. His arms were stretched out with a gun in hand. If he could just... focus...

Suddenly, the world was spinning around him... as the black-suited guards ran around and straight toward him, trying to get to Sylvester. _There are too many... too many... _Ciel suddenly found himself overwhelmed; he shot a glance toward Sebastian, who was easily keeping Sylvester well-guarded. He trusted his young master to fend for himself, but Ciel found himself to be biting off more than he could chew. Hoping Sebastian wouldn't notice his display of weakness, Ciel pulled himself together enough to fight off men who were attacking him. He managed to grab flying bullets and chuck them back at their gunmen.

Flying bullets, blood, and bodies slowed Ciel's world down as he fought on. Experiencing sudden rushes of strength, he was capable of handling himself. _This would be so much quicker if I could damage their limbs... _Then he found himself abruptly distracted by the screaming of the citizens of the airport and the workers trying to calm them and get them to shelter. _With every guard we kill another comes. Why won't Sylvester just let us take our flight instead of standing there with that smirk? _Indeed, the Earl was still as a chess piece, arms folded and eyes gleaming, not with tension, but with amusement.

Allowing his barrings to bewitch him, Ciel felt a bullet graze his left arm. Although he held a yell of pain, he still heard Sebastian's surprised call, "Master!"

"I'm fine... just keep him safe!" Holding a hand to his bleeding wound, Ciel continued to catch and release bullets, dodging those he couldn't grab between his fingers. _How much longer can I keep this up? _Not long after that happened, Sylvester noticed Ciel's gushing arm.

"Ciel, the plane! We'll miss it!" Turning his back on the enemy, Ciel ran towards his master and his butler. Sebastian picked them both up, one in each arm, and ran at a speed only a demon could handle. They made it to their plane before the guards could even leave the building (though they'd nearly missed their flight).

As they boarded the plane, Sebastian set them both down. "Are you alright, my lord?" Sebastian asked.

"Of course. I'm a demon, aren't I?"

"I thought you were planning to let them blow you to bits," Sebastian chuckled.

"More importantly," Ciel sighed, looking to Sylvester. "Are you unharmed?"

"Yes, but obviously you're not!" Sylvester exclaimed as they walked to their seats. They hardly noticed the curious stares they received.

"It's nothing; they'll heal in no time. The important thing is that you're safe."

"That doesn't change the fact you barely managed them! I wouldn't have thought they'd actually injure you, Ciel."

Ciel grew angrier. "It was an accident; I knew Sebastian would protect you, so I guess I held back a bit. It was my mistake, but it will certainly not happen again."

They sat themselves to three seats on the right side near the back of the plane. Sylvester took the window seat, with Sebastian in the middle and leaving Ciel nearest to the aisle.

Sylvester peered at Ciel's bleeding wound. "Perhaps I should have gotten us a private plane..."

"Nonsense," Ciel snapped, looking into the aisle instead of directly at his master. "This is just fine."

With them as their last passengers to board, the plane took off before the guards could reach it in time. Sylvester breathed a sigh of relief as he watched this. "We'll be having no more of that."

"Excuse me, sir." Ciel blinked up at the plane's waitress, who pushed a small cart with food on two shelves. Her blue eyes displayed worry. "Can I get you something for that?"

She was referring to his wound, which grazed all along his arm. Blood dripped on the ground. "Certainly."

She nodded quickly and fetched a first-aid kit. Ignoring Sebastian's penetrating stare, Ciel allowed the waitress to wrap adhesive tape around his arm. "Would you like anything else, sir?"

"That will be all, thank you..."

When she'd left, a man came with a mop and cleaned the blood. Then they were alone again.

"Master?" Sebastian asked.

"What?" Ciel replied tautly, returning his butler's prolonged stare. For the first time he noticed Sylvester was just drifting off.

"I can't help but notice you've been acting strangely," he went on, eyeing his master with cold suspicion. "Are you ready to tell me what is the matter?"

Ciel swallowed hard, rigid with anxiety. "N-N-No... there's nothing-"

"Oh, are you sure?" Sebastian challenged. "Is there nothing troubling you, worrying you perhaps?"

Ciel's face grew hot. "You don't understand," he whimpered. He'd meant only to think this, not to say it aloud. He sounded like a little lost puppy, confused about all that went on around him.

"I don't?" Sebastian spoke now as if he were soothing a small child. A smirk made its way across his face. "Enlighten me, my lord."

Ciel's face became red with embarrassment. "I can't explain what's happening, because even I don't know."

Sebastian sighed. "Then why don't you relax? I will always be here to protect you."

Ciel tensed. "That's not what I mean!"

"It seems we're getting nowhere with this; please try to relax and go to sleep." Sebastian stared at him softly. _He's still treating me like I'm a child fused up over a broken toy! He must not understand... he thinks I'm getting worked up over nothing. But I know my instincts are trying to tell me something... I can't imagine what._

"Please, my lord," Sebastian interrupted his thoughts, looking concerned now. "Calm down. I believe you are overreacting."

_How dare he! _But Ciel knew he was slowly becoming convinced that Sebastian was right. There was no apparent reason to upset himself or lose his demon instincts to protect himself. There was nothing he could do with the path lied out in front of him. Heaving a calming sigh, Ciel leaned against his butler's arm and closed his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Ciel, darling."_

Ciel opened his eyes. He was standing in a bright meadow, with beautiful flowers and the soft rushing of river water behind him. A man and a woman stood before him.

It was the woman who had spoken to Ciel. "We've missed you so very much."

Ciel blocked the sun's rays from his eyes with a hand. "Where am I?"

"You're safe," said the man. Ciel's eyelids flew open with shock. He recognized those voices... the figures silhouetted against the rising sun were his parents.

"No," he replied calmly. "You're both dead. And I will never be truly safe."

"Oh, Ciel." Rachel's blue eyes were filled with the passion and love she held for her child. "Dead or not, we will always be here for you."

"That's not true," Ciel said. "And you know it."

Rachel gasped profoundly. Vincent took a step toward their son. "It doesn't have to be this way, Ciel. You can live a better life than this; you could have a future for yourself."

Ciel scoffed his father. "You sound like Abberline. Anyway, I have no interest in going back when I've already come so far." He stretched an arm in front of him to reveal the contract mark on his hand. "I finally have something to look forward to."

"Ciel," Rachel cried. "We don't want this for you."

The young demon returned his mother's gaze. He lifted his hand and placed it against his blue eye; two contract marks stood side-by-side.

"There's no going back now. This game has only just begun."

* * *

Ciel had forgotten the strange dream as they got off the plane. He and Sylvester waited by the exit of the Norwegian airport, Sebastian fetched their luggage.

"I hope they didn't track us," Sylvester muttered, kicking a littered pop can against the wall.

"You know they did," Ciel told him perversely.

But the butler seemed to have no trouble this time around as he made his way back to the tired and grouchy teens with the luggage at hand. One suitcase held clothing and other necessities, whilst the other was the cage with Pluto. The puppy yapped happily at the sight of Ciel. "Luckily we were able to get on the plane before it left with our stuff." Sylvester scowled. "Let's get out of here before we meet another person that wants me either dead or arrested."

The three gentlemen left the airport's grounds. Stopping in front of a sign with a map, Sylvester looked it over.

"There's a mansion here in Bergen, cut off from the rest of society." He offered a tense chuckle. "And that's where our man is. From what that guy told us before, Ciel, the man we're looking for should have the information we need , perhaps even enough to identify the murderer. I have someone here waiting to drive us there and hold onto our luggage. They shouldn't be far from here."

Ciel simply nodded vaguely. "Very well, Sylvester."

As they walked along the sidewalk, Ciel realized that his adhesive tape had soaked through. But when he removed it, the wound had already healed up. There was never any threat of infection, of course, but if he hadn't allowed the waitress from the plane to attend to the wound, there would be rising suspicions, if there weren't already by the fact that he was injured. But that was all behind him, now. Ciel tossed the bloodied tape into the next trash can they saw.

Though it felt like hours, only thirty minutes passed until they reached the car and the person inside of it that awaited them. It was a glossy white car, resembling the form of a limo. The person who was waiting for them was a chauffeur; he dipped his flat hat with respect as they entered the vehicle. Sylvester murmured a thank you, placing a tip in the man's outstretched hand.

As nightfall greeted Bergen, a mansion came in sight from behind luscious trees. The building was surprisingly elegant, standing tall and beautifully with bricks of many different shades of brown, along with a silver roof and high windows. Like Sylvester's mansion, it had a horseshoe driveway, but this one missed features that Sylvester's estate held, such as a fountain, pool, and garden. The grass of this front yard also came in different lengths, with a torn branch here and there.

"Please wait here," Sylvester told the chauffeur. "This should not take long." When the man nodded, he, Ciel, and Sebastian made their way up to the porch. Sebastian rang the doorbell; when that didn't work, he knocked lightly on the door.

"Hello?" he called. "Are you home?"

Another car in the driveway indicated someone had to be here, yet no response came to the raven-haired butler. Irritated, Sylvester leaned off the railing of the porch and stared into a window. "Show yourself. I'm a friend to the Blackwells. I am Earl Sylvester Carpenter, friend to the late Winter Blackwell. Please come out."

No response.

"Damn this." Sylvester ran to the door and twisted the knob, surprised to find it was unlocked. He creaked it open, peeking inside. Dark, empty rooms welcomed disappointment.

"Perhaps he's asleep," Sebastian said. Ciel gave a soft nod of agreement.

"I don't care if he's looking for some beauty sleep." Sylvester ran toward a flight of stairs, staring up into the dark shadows above. "Wake up! You have visitors!"

"How wonderful."

A deep-throat-ed voice came from _behind _the staircase, and Sylvester jumped back as a pale face with dark brown-black eyes met his own head-on. A tall man with thickly curled black hair had confronted them.

"I'm so glad a friend of Winter has dropped by. I'm Carter, by the way. I welcome you here with open arms." He let his gaze drop on Sylvester. "You're the one who spoke, aren't you? Yes, I remember you. I remember how you and Winter would go to school together... my dear cousin, she was so shy. But you helped her get through elementary and middle school, didn't you. You two were inseparable."

"So, you're her cousin." Sylvester coughed when his voice cracked.

He nodded. "Or, I was. She was only eighteen when she died. And how old are you? Fourteen?"

"Sixteen," Sylvester grunted.

"Right, sorry. She was a grade ahead you, wasn't she? But she still treated you like you were older. I know she had feelings for you."

"Yeah, but none of that matters anymore. I came wondering if you actually do have knowledge about how she died."

Carter frowned. "I'm sorry."

Sylvester blinked at him. "What?"

"I only know that she's moved on. Since I'm pretty much an outcast to my entire family and disgraced them to the point of moving here, out of the country, I'm afraid the Blackwells share very little information with me."

"B-But that can't even be true," Sylvester stammered desperately. "A relative of yours even told me you know something!"

"Yes, I do know _something_." Carter said. "I know that she's moved on, and that her family will forever mourn her. But if you're looking to do some detective work or some shit, I don't know what to tell you."

"He lied." Sylvester hung his head, staring at the floor with his hair shielding his entire face. "You're worthless."

"Hey man, chill. I'm just her cousin. I don't even-"

"Just shut up. We're finished here; you obviously know nothing useful to me. Have a good day." Speaking the last sentence through clenched teeth, Sylvester walked back to the door, grabbing the doorknob with a tight grip.

"Sylvester," Ciel said. "You didn't even ask him about the compass."

"Screw it," Sylvester snapped.

"Wait, a compass?" Carter called after them. "A blue one?"

Sylvester looked back. "Yeah, what of it?"

"Lemme see."

Sylvester took off his hat and with it he removed the beautiful sapphire glow of the metallic object. On its cover, the white blue jay was still there, a truly detailed design.

"It's familiar," Carter admitted. "Yeah. Yeah, I've seen that someplace before."

Sylvester tensed with annoyance. "Get on with it then, where-ever you're going with this."

The young man snapped his fingers. "A woman named Susan Camilla. She's the mother of one of Winter's friends, and gave that compass to Winter as a gift six years ago."

Sylvester found himself confounded. "So you did know something after all. Where can I find her?"

To his dismay, Carter shrugged. "Somewhere in London?"

"I would assume as much. Anyways, thanks for the help. We'll be going now."

"Wait!"

Sylvester sighed childishly, turning his head to look back. "What?"

Carter narrowed his eyes. "Don't get yourself into too much trouble out there, Sylvester. If you're looking for revenge for something along those lines, just remember that it will get you nowhere. It might not even be a murder."

Sylvester now faced him directly, confused. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "I don't even know. Just..." He noticed Sebastian. "Hey, you watch after the kid, a'right?"

Sebastian smiled. "Certainly."

From then on there was silence, from when they left the man's house to when they drove to a hotel for the night. When they entered their hotel room, Sylvester let himself fall atop a small couch, heaving an exhausted sigh. "Well, our stay in Norway wasn't quite a month as it was a day, huh?" He lifted an arm and grazed his fingers along a teacup. After a minute he have up his act of a good mood. "If I knew I'd just be going around in circles I would've never gotten you involved, Ciel."

The young Phantomhive looked up from where he sat on one of the beds, allowing Sebastian to button his pajamas. "What do you mean by that? Shouldn't you be grateful to keep your soul for another day?"

Sylvester slid his finger through the teacup's handle and lifted it. "Should I? Yes. Am I?" He closed his eyes. "My life is becoming more and more meaningless by the day. My mere existence is to dodge the police, use the Black Market and investigate the murder of who I loved more than anyone else. What more, my own father tried to murder me a few months ago. Then you stepped into the picture, and I felt hope for the first time in, well, a long time. Now I'm just starting to realize... no one would care if I dropped dead this instant. No one would come to my funeral. Not even I would..."

Ciel just looked on soundlessly as Sylvester continued. "It's not just that I don't value my soul; I hate it. I hate myself. But I loved Winter. She was my everything. She was my reason to live. And now my only reason to live is to find out why she left me in the end, therefore making me feel alone... useless."

"Alright, I've heard quite enough." Ciel stood up and walked toward his master. "Do you honestly think moping is going to solve anything? Regret gets you nowhere in life."

"I'm already nowhere in life," Sylvester said. "What do I truly amount to in this world?"

"You're not going to figure it out lying there, wasting away! Pull yourself together. You're not going to get _anywhere _sitting on your ass wondering what the world would be like if you were never born."

Sylvester looked his bodyguard directly in the eyes, even as he held back runaway tears. "You're right, Ciel. I can't change the past, so I shouldn't regret it, either."

Ciel smirked. "That's more like it."

"Though," Sylvester added. "I think revenge is sort of like regrets of the past, isn't it? You hate what happened so much that you want to make up for it through violent action simply to make yourself feel better about everything. Some question whether revenge truly works, but you managed well, huh Ciel? You got revenge and managed to gain eternal life right along with it."

Ciel looked away. "Yes, I suppose so."

"Say, Sebastian? Why do you even bother serving Ciel anymore? I mean, it's just a stupid contract, isn't it?"

Ciel blinked at his master. "I think you may want to mind your business, Sylvester."

He shrugged. "Hey, just asking. Jeez. You wouldn't want to serve me just for the fun of it, would you Ciel? Come on, Sebastian, is there another reason behind all this?"

The grown demon simply glared at him. "I believe you may want to stop yourself before you tread further onto thin ice, young Earl."

Sylvester noticed his red eyes were turning a demonic fuchsia, and he looked back at his teacup before making direct eye contact. "Alright, sorry. I'm just a bit bored, and I need to sleep." He set the cup down on its plate with a loud _clack _and hurried to one of the two king-sized beds. Ciel remained where he stood.

"Master?" Sebastian called softly. "Are you going to sleep?"

"No, not tonight." Ciel blinked blankly at the wall window of their hotel room and out at the moon. Sebastian made his way over to the young master's side. "Sebastian, I need to speak with you."

Sebastian dipped his head. "Right away, my lord."

The two stepped outside on the balcony, sliding the glass door closed behind them. Warm air made their skin tingle as it adjusted, a soft, cool breeze blowing their hair every which way.

"Why are you still my butler?" Ciel jumped straight to the point.

Sebastian smiled and put a hand to his chest. "As the contract remains-"

"All that aside," Ciel interrupted. "Surely you're hungrier than I am. There are souls out there, yet you haven't killed me and decided to follow your natural demon instinct to eat."

"I cannot break the contract," Sebastian said.

"Yes, you can." Ciel narrowed his eyes. "If you kill me-"

"Are you _asking _me to do so, my lord?"

"No, of course not. I... I just need to know why."

"Oh. Well, you see... I am simply one hell of a butler."

Ciel opened his mouth to protest, but Sebastian put a finger to the child's lips, then moved his hand down to lift Ciel's chin up. Ciel's lips quavered as Sebastian stroked his young lord's cheek with his thumb. Ciel tried to whisper his butler's name, but he could only utter distant sounds. Suddenly Sebastian released his grip and went back inside. Ciel followed him, but before he could say anything Sebastian went first.

"I assume we'll be staying here for breakfast." Sebastian smiled down at him. "I hear the food is quite nice here. When the Earl wakes we shall head downstairs. Don't you agree?"

Ciel could only nod.

"Very well. Goodnight, my young lord. I have some business I need to be attending to, so if you'll excuse me." Sebastian left the hotel room entirely. But Ciel couldn't bring himself to go after his mysterious butler right away.

_He refuses to give me direct answers, _he thought to himself. _If he's planning something - either against me or without my consent - no way in hell will I let him get away with it. _Ciel thought about staying behind, staying in the hotel room and simply wait for Sebastian to come back. But the idea of Sebastian betraying Ciel somehow gradually began to overwhelm his thoughts. After another moment's hesitation, Ciel pursued him.


	7. Chapter 7

Ciel surged through the upstairs halls of the hotel. _Where could he have gone off to? He couldn't have gotten that far already! Unless... _Ciel winced. _Did I remind him of his true nature, and he's run off? Has he abandoned me?_

Ciel stopped at the huge flight of stairs that led down into the lobby. Not many people were out this time of night, but some guests were checking in and workers were pushing carts with cleaning supplies. When Ciel hit the bottom of the steps, a man stopped him.

"Hey there, kiddo," he said in a soothing voice. "Where're you off you? Are ya lost?"

Ciel tried to look past him. "Let me go!" He ducked under the man's outstretched arm and hurled himself toward the exit doors. But when he emerged outside, there was still no sign of Sebastian. Ciel's head began to spin. _He said he had business to take care of. Did that include getting as far from me as possible?_

Weary and confused, Ciel went back inside with the hope that Sebastian was somewhere wandering the hotel, or even back at their room. The man who'd stopped him a moment ago walked away, though Ciel noticed the wary look he gave him. Not wanting to cause any more disturbances in the lobby, Ciel went back upstairs and scoured the halls once more. When almost all hope seemed lost, he heard cheers of joy from downstairs. Once again Ciel entered the lobby and tracked the noise down a hall to find a stairway leading to the hotel's basement. Groups of adults were piling inside.

When Ciel tried to sneak inside, he felt a hand grab his arm. It was the man from earlier.

"Sorry, no kids are allowed beyond this point."

"Unhand me!" Ciel ordered. "I'm with them..." He pointed at a couple.

"He doesn't belong to us!" the woman exclaimed.

"Kids aren't allowed anyways." He shoved Ciel back. "Go find your parents."

"You have no right to tell me what to do," Ciel threw back.

"Actually, I do. You're just a minor. Now get out of my sight before I call in backup."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "You would dare?"

Ciel only just noticed someone behind him when he felt an arm wrap around his body and a hand cover his mouth.

"I'm sorry for any trouble my son has caused you," an unfamiliar voice said. "He runs off often; I simply can't keep up with him."

"Better put that boy in restraints, then," the man grunted.

"Listen, you!" Ciel said, his voice muffled by the gloved hand. The person restraining him walked him out into the empty lobby and forcibly sat Ciel on a couch.

"What right do you have-" Ciel paused as he looked at the person for the first time. A young woman with long, wavy red hair and gray eyes looked down at him.

"Do you throw yourself into trouble like this often?" she giggled.

"N-No..." Ciel's voice drifted as he studied the girl's natural beauty. He immediately snapped himself out of the trance. "Why did you do that? Back there..."

"I saw you were just asking for it, and I absolutely did not want to see a child get hurt for his stubbornness. Um, do you know where your parents are?"

"I'm staying with someone," Ciel replied shortly.

"Well, that's good. Good luck, and don't try to go back into that bar!" She giggled and took off, without a single look back. _Well, that was quite odd. _Then Ciel remembered what he was doing in the first place. _Sebastian!_

Ciel didn't think twice before running back to the hotel room. He swung the door open, but there was no butler to be seen. Instead, a groggy Sylvester greeted his sight.

"What are you doing up?" Ciel panted.

"I got thirsty." Sylvester stared quizzically at his bodyguard. "Where did you run off to? And where's Sebastian?"

"He went to check up on Pluto," Ciel lied. For a moment Ciel thought that actually could have been what Sebastian was doing, until he realized it wouldn't have taken him this long to do so.

"Then what were _you_ doing?" Sylvester inquired.

"Sleepwalking."

Sylvester glanced at Ciel uneasily, as if worried for his sake. "Okay... goodnight." Relieved that was over, Ciel sat on the small couch and stared at the tea set placed out on the small table in front of him. Sebastian had to return. _He has to._

* * *

Morning greeted them with warm, pale shades of yellow, pink and orange and light, fluffy clouds.

Yet Ciel was more apprehensive than ever.

Sylvester sat up in his bed and stretched his arms above him, welcoming the light from outside to warm his spirits, if not for a short while. "Ciel, we should be going soon." He got up out of bed. "Hey, isn't Sebastian back yet?"

"Sebastian suggested he have breakfast before we go," Ciel told him. "He's probably waiting for us down there."

Sylvester blinked. "I would think he'd have the nerve to help you dress first and all that, but alright then. I'll be right back." He fetched his own clothes and went to change. Ciel tried dressing himself, though he ended up looking as if a blind man had dressed him. But, though his clothes were wrinkly, his tie undone and his hair messy, it would have to do.

When they both finished, they walked downstairs and ate breakfast. With still no sign of Sebastian, Ciel felt himself becoming even more distraught. After Sylvester ate they gathered their luggage and met up with the chauffeur.

"Ciel," Sylvester began as they sat in the moving limousine. "Do you think Sebastian left because of what I said?"

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous." Ciel gave a soft sigh. "Even if he has left, it was nothing to do with you. This is between us, so don't feel as if you need to get involved."

Sylvester cringed. "Okay."

Ciel leaned against the car door, resting his head against his clenched fist. _There's no reason for him to run away. He can only break the contract and regain his freedom by killing me. What on Earth is he up to?_

"Ciel!"

Suddenly the car lurched forward and off the bridge it was driving across; the windows shattered and shards of glass flew everywhere. Ciel immediately went to shield Sylvester. The shattering of glass and destruction of the car itself blocked out all other sounds, and the sky flew back as the car was plunged over the side of the rode. A tree stopped it before the back wheels left the cement, a branch finding its way straight through the windshield and stopping the car completely. Following came a deadly silence.

All that could be heard was the glass they fell atop one another. "Sylvester?" Ciel spoke his master's name in order to break the cold silence.

"Ciel," came Sylvester's raspy voice as he lifted his head, glass tumbling off his hair where his hat had been. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. Ciel carefully maneuvered through the wreck so not to unbalance the car, and stretched out his neck to look at the chauffeur. Glass had pierced his throat; blood dripped down to the body's chest, drenching his necktie. Ciel peered out the window and down to find themselves at least eighty feet up off the ground. He noticed another car at the very bottom, completely wrecked and stranded on its side in the short grass and atop the hard ground.

_So we crashed into them, _Ciel concluded.

"What do we do now?" Sylvester asked, obviously trying to keep his voice under control but failing. "Even when we get out of this, I don't know the way to the Norway airport."

"Something tells me unfriendly folk will be waiting for us there," Ciel said. "But that's not our concern at the moment. I promise to find a way out of this mess; just give me second."

Ciel opened the front door on the passenger's side. The car didn't move even the slightest. "The branch is holding it steady, and the back of the car is still on the road. I'll help you up onto the roof, and we'll get across like that. If we wait for the police then you will be recognized. We will move quickly."

Sylvester stepped through the broken glass just as Ciel had done. Grasping his hand tightly, Ciel pulled him up onto the roof. It was just then Sylvester remembered...

"My hat, Ciel!" he exclaimed. "It has the compass!"

Ciel sighed. "If you get yourself to safety I'll go back for it."

Sylvester immediately crossed the limo's roof and jumped off, landing with his two feet on the safety of the cement road. Ciel reluctantly went back inside and fetched the hat, making sure the compass was still there. When he saw that they were both there, he left the car once more and crossed the roof, handing Sylvester his items. Just then a slow creaking sound caught their attention... Ciel leaped from the car only to be jolted right back, as his foot slipped and caught in the broken glass of the back window. Ciel slammed his head against the cement, opening a new bleeding wound. The force of the fall jerked the creaking tree branch to the point of collapsing entirely, and the car flew forward toward the tree, colliding with it sharply before ultimately plunging to the ground.

As vehicle and ground met, it was closely followed by the sound of a crashing thud. Car parts went flying a short distance, and everything began to spin in Ciel's mind. It all happened so quickly. Ciel, in shock, tried lifting his head up. Blood dripped down his forehead, right before his eyes. Glass shards and other sharp things pierced straight through his own flesh, some even reaching his bones. Blood gushed out everywhere on his body. Still, he managed to sit himself up. The shock of it all had affected him worse than the actual injuries themselves (which would have paralyzed or killed a human), though they certainly didn't help his case.

"Ciel!" Ciel looked up to see Sylvester getting kicked down. Several men were grabbing his limbs and restraining him. "No! Let me go! Ciel!"

"Sylvester, I'm coming," Ciel whispered, his words followed by a spurt of blood out of his mouth and down his chin. Suddenly he sank into a coughing fit, mounds of blood piling up before him from right out of his very own lips. _These wounds are insignificant to me. I haven't been stabbed by a death scythe. I can handle this, and Sylvester needs me._

Even without Sebastian, Ciel was undaunted. Or he tried to be, at least. Lifting himself to his feet, the demon child limped to where the bridge began and made his way up to where Sylvester was being detained. _I won't... let you... hurt him. His soul is mine. If you're watching this, Sebastian, I hope you're impressed. I hope you regret leaving your precious soul!_

At last Sylvester reached his sight. He'd been handcuffed and was still being kicked while he protested, cursing at the police and spitting at their feet. He soon noticed Ciel's presence. "Ciel, you're alright!"

_You're seriously worrying about _me_? _Ciel watched as the men raised their guns.

"Don't move from where you are, boy! We know you've been working with Earl Carpenter, therefore you shall be detained as well."

Ciel blocked out the harsh voice as he tried to focus on twisting one of the men's limbs like Sebastian had done before. If he could do this while the demon was watching, he sure as hell better be proud of his young master. Even with Ciel's depleting strength he managed to injure someone in this way. Truly his practice had paid off in this moment.

"What are you?" someone cried as Ciel repeated this to another person. Guns fired, but Ciel was ready for action. Collecting the bullets with his fingers, he returned them to their perpetrators. Dodging more incoming bullets, Ciel grabbed his master and jumped off the bridge. He grunted painfully as his injured legs hit the hard, grassy ground, but still he ran into the woods until the gunfire slowly faded away behind him.

Ciel slowed when he emerged into the city, and set Sylvester down gently on the sidewalk in the shadows of two neighboring buildings. About ready to collapse from exhaustion, Ciel stared out at the sky and saw that the sun was already setting. With the police on their trail, it wouldn't be wise to find a hotel to rest at.

"This day hasn't been as productive as I planned," Sylvester said as Ciel broke his handcuffs apart. "Are you okay, Ciel?" he added generously. "I don't have anything but a bloody nose. I can't find one spot on you that isn't bleeding."

"I'm fine," Ciel groaned. "I need you to worry about yourself, not me."

Sylvester stared up at him sympathetically. "I'm use to getting caught like this, but the worst things possible seem to be slamming you in the back. If any of this is phasing you-"

"I just said I'm fine!" Ciel yelled, louder than intended, but he continued out of frustration, "Sometimes I swear you pay little regard for your own safety."

"That's because I know you'll protect me," Sylvester said. "But who's there for you now? I can worry for you if I want to, Ciel. I think you need someone to watch over you, to take care of you."

"Excuse me?" Pure rage overcame Ciel. "I can watch over myself. Sebastian didn't need to protect me since I became a demon; he is only my butler. I don't need him. _I don't want him!_"

"Ciel, you don't mean that." Sylvester reached his hands out for Ciel's shoulders. When he resisted, Sylvester continued, "I know you don't mean that. You're injured, tired, and surely hungry. I wouldn't expect you to be in a good mood, but please try to keep your sanity. For both of our sake."

Ciel, quivering with his bitter fury, inhaled a shaky breath. "I'm fine," he repeated, more or less calm again.

Sylvester smiled at the attempt of relaxing. "Thank you." He studied the sky briefly as day gave way to night. "I think we can find our way to Carter's house from here, if we're lucky. I know where he lives, so that's good. If we just use maps we come across, we can get there and come up with a plan. Agreed?"

Ciel nodded. "Yes."

Sylvester's smile widened. "Alright, let's get walking then."

As Ciel followed Sylvester, he began to realize something: As he tried to help Sylvester keep his sanity, Ciel began to lose his own. _There is no hope for him, is there? _he thought as he watched the contented 16-year-old walk on ahead. _I can't tell how he feels because of his mood swings. But that doesn't matter; I'm not here to help him become normal. I must find my own way before I lead another's. _

As Ciel thought about their situation and his butler's sudden actions, he hadn't realized how fast time was passing. They were at Carter's just as the moon came into sight.

Just as they reached the horseshoe driveway, Sylvester turned to face Ciel. "Look, I don't what's going on with Sebastian, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet. What if he strayed off somewhere and now he can't find us? Before we decide that he's abandoned you, let's search further into this."

Ciel stopped for a moment, letting Sylvester go on without him. No... Sebastian would have found them by now; he would especially have been there for Ciel when he was injured in the car accident, demon or not. Something was going on that Ciel didn't know about, and now more than ever Ciel wanted to see those deep red eyes and raven-black hair again.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh, you're back."

Ciel noticed a tinge of disappointment to Carter's voice. Sylvester didn't seem to notice.

"I have the police on my case," Sylvester told Carter. "I hope you don't mind if we stay here overnight."

"No, not at all," he replied. "After all, I do owe you for watching over my cousin for all those years, huh?" Carter looked to a room from across the hall. "That's the guest room. Make yourselves at home, then. I'm going back to bed... 'Night."

Ciel and Sylvester watched in silence as the young man returned to his own room upstairs. When they heard the door close behind him, Sylvester faced his bodyguard.

"Just in case they tracked us, I want you to stand guard. Think you can manage?"

Ciel gave his master a small nod. "Yes."

"Good." Sylvester placed a hand against his own forehead, where his contract mark was placed. He sighed. "Honestly, I didn't think he'd blatantly welcome a criminal inside his own house. But it's to our advantage, so no use complaining." Shrugging, the child walked down the hall and entered the guest room, leaving the door open just a crack.

Ciel sighed softly, gazing out the window. To his surprise, a stray cat was romping about just outside. _Sebastian would get a kick out of this. _Taking a closer look, Ciel studied its glossy black fur. As it came closer, it noticed Ciel and jumped at the window, perching itself on the windowsill. For the first time Ciel realized it had reddish eyes.

"It's rather cold," he murmured. "Here." Despite his allergies, Ciel opened the window slightly; the cat didn't even flinch. Lifting it all the way now, Ciel reached his hand out. The cat gave a startled meow and fled into the grass, disappearing within the shadows of night.

Morning came without any unwanted visitors. Sylvester got up before Carter and met Ciel at the door.

"The airport won't be safe," Ciel told him. "We may be stuck here a while yet."

Sylvester nodded sleepily. "Yes, but I prefer we don't stay at one place for too long, either." Glaring, he added in a mutter, "Those bastards are relentless."

_You would know, _Ciel thought. He knew his master was ruthless when getting what he wanted.

And so they left Carter's house without waking him, making their way through the woods and back toward the city. It was early morning, and not many people were about. Cars drifted by lazily, reflecting the soft light of the rising sun. Ciel retrieved a dirtied newspaper he found at the side of the road.

**'Earl Carpenter Affiliates With the Black Market**

_16-year-old Sylvester Carpenter sells human parts'_

"It appears I've made the front cover," Sylvester spat disdainfully.

"What shall we do now?" Ciel asked.

Sylvester's eyes skimmed over the paragraphs before he crumpled the paper and tossed it back into the road. His eyes began to glow violently.

"I want them all dead," he hissed. "Every last person."

Ciel's eyes widened. "Master..."

Sylvester turned on him. "I've told you multiple times: Call me Sylvester!"

Ciel now narrowed his eyes. "Very well. _Sylvester_, you must focus on the mission at hand. As long as I am here, no one shall take your life. You know that, don't you?"

Sylvester avoided his penetrating stare. "Yes."

"Our main priority is returning to London to find the women who may know something about that compass. She is our next target. All we have to do is find a way back..."

Ciel stroked his chin, thinking about their next move. Another airport fight may turn out to be too much of a hassle, especially if Ciel became faint again. Ciel would not risk losing Sylvester... there was no way he could lose that potent soul...

Ciel hadn't noticed Sylvester's temper had gotten worse. He began to worry when Sylvester pulled out his handgun from his coat pocket.

"Sylvester..." Ciel began calmly. "We need to get moving."

"We will." Sylvester cocked his gun. "We'll probably need to board a ship or something, and I hardly have any money on hand. It was in the luggage, and I certainly don't know where that ended up, nor do I know anything about Pluto." He glared deviously at Ciel. "Anyways, the point is I need cash. We can start with that market over there."

_So. He plans to rob a store. Brilliant. _Ciel obediently followed his master to the nearest commoner's market. It was rather small, and a bell rang when Ciel opened door. Sylvester entered and aimed the gun at the clerk.

"Everyone step back and don't say a word!" he ordered. "You there." He addressed the clerk. "Give me all your money." As the lady did so, he added, "Anyone makes a move or goes for a phone, I'll blow your head off your shoulders. I promise."

The young woman at the cash register opened it and stepped back. "Ciel." Sylvester turned his head to the demon. "Collect all of it."

As Ciel emptied the cash register, Sylvester approached the trembling clerk, tugging her chin down with his gloved fingers. Her brown eyes were teary.

"What a lovely dame. Thank you for cooperating. Say, how old are you?"

She narrowed her eyes at the teenager. "I'm not some pedophile, you little bastard."

Sylvester tutted her. "It's a shame." He released his grip on her chin, taking a step back. "A damsel like yourself shouldn't use such profanity. Might I teach you a lesson on proper ladylike behavior?"

Sylvester took out his gun and shot the woman in the stomach. He remained straight faced as she fell to her knees, heaving breaths and trembling in her own rash agony.

"Sylvester, let's go," Ciel said, not taking his eyes off the wounded young lady.

"I'm not quite finished yet." The child pressed the gun's tip against her forehead. "You could beg for mercy," he told her. "Though I might find it rather pathetic." Before she could respond, he kneed her in the ribs. She cried out, and Sylvester pulled the trigger. He didn't seem to notice the flying blood, as his eyes seemed distant and cold as the body fell at his feet.

He turned on the shoppers. "I can't allow anyone going to the police and reporting where I'm located." He rose his gun once more. "Go ahead and make a queue. Quickly!"

Ciel watched profoundly as people actually did as Sylvester told them. Some held back, but they would be dealt with soon enough. Crying children were soothed by their mothers. The first one up for the bloodbath was young man, a gentleman with a heavy gray coat and top hat.

"You're willing to assassinate all these families?" he asked. "Spare the women and children, if you have a heart!"

Sylvester cringed. "I don't think so." He shifted his gaze to the right, catching someone sitting just within his sight, crouched down behind an aisle of food and whispering softly into her phone. He immediately took the stranger out; blood stained the wall behind them.

"Murderer!" someone cried.

"Sylvester," Ciel warned. "If that was the police, they may be here soon. We must be moving."

Sylvester lowered his gun, a childishly indignant light in his eyes as he glanced over at Ciel. "Interrupt me while I'm having my fun, will you? It may be for the best. Let's go."

As he spoke, the young man at the front of the man had made his way closer and now tackled the Earl Carpenter on his back, grabbing the handgun with one hand and using the other to grip the teen's throat. He placed his knees firmly against Sylvester's arms as he sat atop him.

"Don't you move, boy!" he called out to Ciel, aiming it toward the 13-year-old demon. "Someone grab him!"

"Ciel!" Sylvester said quickly, keeping his voice under control. "Don't resist."

Ciel offered a small gasp as two men grabbed his arms. It was hard fighting the urge to order them to release him at once, but Ciel obeyed his master's command, relaxing himself as he was restrained.

Sylvester made eye contact with the man subduing him. "What are you gonna do, shoot me?"

"It's tempting, but no. I'm just gonna turn you and your friend there into the police."

"I assume you've seen me in the newspapers, then?"

The man smiled. "Yes, but I'm not afraid of you. I don't care if you see people as food or money. In the end, you're only a child that needs to learn his place in the world."

Sylvester's eyes grew huge with alarm, as if he just realized he was in a tight spot. "Ciel, I order you to get over here right this second and kick this man's ass."

"Right away." Ciel pulled his arms inward, colliding the heads of the two men together and ultimately knocking them out. Sylvester's contender had no time to cock the gun before Ciel reached him. Ciel easily twisted his arms behind his back; the man fell on the tile floor whilst yelling out in pain.

Ciel took the handgun and helped Sylvester up, handing him the weapon. "What an utter waste of time," Sylvester complained, batting the dust and dirt off his clothing. They escorted themselves out, fleeing for the safety of the woods before the police cars pulled up. They walked on in silence as another day passed over their heads. "Hey, Ciel," Sylvester said after a while. "Did you happen to grab any food from that damned place?"

"Yes. I know you must be hungry, but let's find a place to rest before we start any of that."

"Ah, you don't understand!" Sylvester fussed. "You don't know what it's like to be hungry."

Ciel's eyes changed their color to a demonic red. "Really? Is that so?"

Sylvester stared down, kicking up a stone and sighing. "Fine, whatever. We'll do it your way."

Eventually, they found a small clearing with what looked to be an abandoned little house. It had begun to cave into itself, but it seemed they would have to make do with it for the night.

"This place gives me the creeps," Sylvester muttered as he walked through the door, kicking down a wooden board that was leaning against the wall with a loud thud, followed by a puff a dust.

"I wouldn't expect to hear that from you," Ciel commented.

Sylvester laughed sarcastically. "Where's the food?"

Ciel took out a bag of chips he had stored and handed it to his master, who tore it open and greedily stuffed his mouth full.

By nightfall, rain was pouring down with its relentless intent of flooding the area. It was becoming increasingly dark, and Sylvester for one couldn't see a thing. Ultimately he decided to just go to sleep.

"I think this is a bedroom here," he called to Ciel. "Well, g'night."

For a while, Ciel simply stood there, letting the cold air embrace him and the pounding of rain against the roof fill his ears. He began to realize he was feeling desolated. He actually missed Sebastian. He missed having his butler at his side; he missed having the feeling that he was truly safe. Sebastian had been the only one who was always there for Ciel, and now he had disappeared without a single trace for the child to follow.


	9. Chapter 9

Sylvester got up early so they could make their way down to the port. Luckily for them the walk wasn't too far, and there was a ferry scheduled for England to set off at any time.

"I guess I'll pay them," Sylvester sighed. "I have nothing better to do with the money. Let's just hope no one recognizes us, and we'll be good."

To their relief, they were able to pay for seats and board the ferry without any unwanted attention; they just didn't know how long that would last. Sylvester, still hungry after not eating anything for the past few days except for a bag of chips, headed for the dining area.

"Want anything?" he asked Ciel. Lowering his voice, he added "I know you don't care for this kind of food, but you were a human once, right? Surely you still have a respect for quality food?"

"There is nothing 'quality' about this place," Ciel responded. "I have no interest in eating here. Do as you like."

Sylvester nodded solemnly and went to place his own order. Ciel found them an empty table and sat there as he waited for his master to arrive. Sylvester returned with a tray consisting of white rice, tomato-and-lettuce nachos and a salad.

"You know," Sylvester snickered, leaning over the table toward Ciel as he spoke. "Other than human, I'm pretty much vegan."

Ciel sat silently as Sylvester ate. He no longer desired for such vile things to be put inside his body, but rather a decent soul with a unique and uncommon desire? He would gladly sink his teeth into that.

"Why're ya lookin a me leh tha?" Sylvester asked, his words barely comprehensible with his cheeks stuffed with food. Ciel gave a modest chuckle at his master's appearance, handing him a napkin.

"Perhaps you shouldn't talk with your mouth full," Ciel suggested, eyeing the bits of food Sylvester spat out. The Earl accepted the napkin and cleaned his face as well as the table.

"I'm not one to get embarrassed easily. Especially in front of you." He looked up at Ciel with an eased grin. "You accept me no matter what I do, and we both know it."

Ciel nodded. "That much is true."

When Sylvester finished eating they went downstairs of the ferry where a pool was in use. A lifeguard watched over everyone as they swam in the body of water.

"They're all just swimming in their own filth," Ciel said.

"Hey, it's fun, at least," Sylvester told him. "I wish I'd brought my swimsuit."

For a minute they stood in place, silently observing the families as they raced one another to the far side of the pool. The room echoed with the happy screams of children and splashing water.

"Screw it," Sylvester said suddenly. "I'll just leave my pants on."

"What?" Ciel watched as his master undressed. "If you get your clothes wet you'll be cold later!"

But Sylvester ignored his bodyguard's protests. Once he was left with only his pants and underclothes, Sylvester ran for the pool and cannon-balled his way in.

"Idiot," Ciel groaned. _I swear, you get distracted far too easily sometimes._

Ciel returned to the deck of the ferry, having no interest of watching Sylvester mess around. _It's almost as he's mocking me. As if he's proving outright that he mustn't constantly focus on the contract._

Ciel decided to rest in an empty chair under the warm light that the sun offered. He thought of what it would be like if Sebastian had eaten his soul. He would have moved on to form contracts with other humans, forgetting about Ciel. _No, _he thought. _He would never forget me. I wouldn't let him. _Ciel thought over what Sebastian might be doing. If he somehow got himself into trouble...

"Sebastian," Ciel whispered. "Sebastian, I order you..." He couldn't bring himself to finish. He found himself mixed up in his own thoughts, wondering what was made up and what was reality. There was no way to think straight.

Sylvester let himself drift across the surface of the pool. Young girls were huddled together and pointing at the Earl. Deciding to show off for them, he jumped out and climbed up on a diving board. As soon as he jumped, he began to twist in the air and landed with a splash that drenched the girls. He resurfaced directly in front of a brunette who sat at the edge; he softly took her hand and kissed it. Expecting a slap across the face, he was relieved to see her smile sweetly at him. Suddenly he realized that the rest of them were blushing furiously.

"Hello, ladies," he tried. (Let's just say there were nosebleeds everywhere.)

"I'm Autumn," said the brunette.

Sylvester stroked her hand with his thumb. "I''m Sylvester. Pleasure to meet you ladies."

One of the girls gave a light gasp, and immediately avoided Sylvester's questioning stare. It was then he remembered he was in the newspaper, but it seemed only the one girl actually read it. Dismissing the frightened look, he returned his attention to Autumn.

"So what do you say we..." Sylvester chuckled when his voice faded. But before he could continue, he noticed Ciel coming up behind the girls.

"Come, Sylvester," Ciel told him.

Sylvester glared up angrily. "Alright."

When they had reached the deck, Ciel turned on him. "You should not be going about giving away your name to random girls you see. What is the point of me being your bodyguard when you willingly put yourself at risk?"

"Oh, come on," Sylvester protested. "None of 'em seemed to recognize me."

"That girl?" Ciel said. "That one who gasped at the mere mention of your name?"

Sylvester frowned. "You saw that?"

Ciel made an outraged move toward him. "Yes! And now she is probably telling her friends that you're a criminal!"

Sylvester stepped back, avoiding Ciel's discrete stare. "I'll take care of it."

He walked back down alone to find that the girl that seemed afraid of him standing alone in a towel. Glancing over to make sure she didn't go anywhere, he dressed himself and confronted her.

"Hey there," Sylvester said casually, leaning against the wall as the girl shied away from his eyes. For the first time he noticed how much smaller than him she was. "Mind telling me how old you are?"

Straight blonde hair covered her young face as she kept her head down. "Ten."

"Hey, now," he said consolingly. "It's alright. Can I, um, have a more private chat with you? You're so pretty and all, I wanna get to know you better."

The girl looked up for the first time; her hazel eyes sparkled with tears. "O-Okay."

Sylvester led her up to the deck and toward the stern of the ferry, out of sight from anyone else. He led her right up against the railing, where he suddenly grabbed her arm tightly in his hand and covered her mouth with the other.

"Did you tell those other girls anything about me, sweetie?" he asked calmly. When she shook her head vigorously, he said, "Good, now I don't need to worry about anything leaking out." Grabbing her hair, he slammed the girl's head against the railing, knocking her unconscious. He then continued to lift her up and toss her over the edge of the ferry, where she fell in the water with a small splash.

"Sorry I made it seem so brutal," he told Ciel as the young Phantomhive approached. "A gunshot was out of the question, and I had to knock her out so she wouldn't scream when I threw her over."

Ciel nodded. "Very well."

They both turned to find someone walking toward them, a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, green eyes and a showy black outfit.

"I thought I heard something," she said. "What're you two little boys doing over here?"

"How is that any of your business?" Ciel asked. The woman knelt down and kissed the demon's hand, leaving Ciel speechless at her behavior.

"There are some nasty adults who would fancy taking away fine children like yourselves."

Ciel jumped back. "Get away!" he ordered.

She stood straight up now. "Why? What could you possibly do to me?"

"Don't encourage us," Sylvester warned simply. "I don't think you want to underestimate us."

The woman glared at the Earl Carpenter. "Then I must ask for the same in return." That being said, she turned her back on them and walked away without another word. Ciel narrowed his eyes, irritation creeping beneath his skin.

Time seemed to slip away from Ciel and Sylvester both, and eventually they found themselves back in London. They were more than happy to leave the strange people they'd encountered, especially the blonde-haired woman. There was something about her that unnerved Ciel, though he couldn't quite put a name to it. He forgot about his troublesome thoughts when they reached the Earl Carpenter's mansion.

"I think I'll rest for a bit," Sylvester told Ciel as they walked through the door. "If that's all right with you." Ciel gave a small nod, and gasped when he saw something sprinting toward them. It was Pluto!

"I guess Sebastian stopped by after all," Sylvester observed as he picked up Pluto, who squirmed as he tried to reach Ciel. "Maybe he's here. Let's look for him."

After scouring the entire mansion and the yard, there was still no trace of the demonic butler. Sylvester searched through the suitcase that had been placed on the table, but it only had the clothes and such that had been put inside.

"This isn't funny, Sebastian," Ciel yelled. "I want to see you here, _now!_"

As if in response, an explosion came from a short distance away from the mansion. Fire rose and thick smoke polluted the air.

"What the hell is going on?" Sylvester muttered, going for the door. Ciel blocked his path.

"We don't know what's going yet," Ciel warned him.

"You'll keep me safe, Ciel, now come on!" Narrowing his eyes, Sylvester added, "It's an order."

Reluctantly, Ciel joined Sylvester as they ran side-by-side toward the sudden mayhem. Black shadow figures flashed within the smoke of the fire, too fast for Ciel to make out. Though he did recognize someone.

"I see you're back," he said. It was the woman from the ferry.

"How pleasant to see your face again, child." She walked straight up to Ciel. "What an inconsistent little demon you are."

Ciel gasped, eyes wide as he met hers. "How could you..."

The flaming roof of the building beside them suddenly collapsed entirely; Ciel seized Sylvester to the ground and shielded him from the burnt chunks of wood and flame. When the building stopped raining down on them, Ciel stood up, careful not to let anything fall and hurt his master. For the first time Ciel noticed something in the woman's hands.

A death scythe.

"You're a grim reaper," Ciel said. "I knew your eyes were familiar, though I admit this is rather a twist of events."

"I don't think you want to fight me, Ciel Phantomhive. One blow of my death scythe could end your very existence. Just give up now."

"Give up? What do you mean?"

She smiled. "Give up that boy over there to me." She nodded to Sylvester, who was lying down next to the still-stable part of the building. "And give up yourself."

"Never," Ciel declared. "I haven't come this far up to be taken back down again." Ciel blocked out the strong memories of being a small child whose parents were killed and he, himself, was then made into a slave. The raging flames before him lit up the dignified fury in his eyes.

"You arrogant brat." The shinigami rose her death scythe. "You have a death wish, don't you?"

Ciel smirked, his eyes glowing pure red, his pupils just slits. Screaming, the woman brought her grim reaper tool down on Ciel; although he jumped back the death scythe sliced straight down the middle of his body, from his collarbone to belly area. Yelling from the pain, Ciel struggled to pull himself together before she could land another blow. Immediately he jumped out of the way again. Sudden pain exploded through him as the death scythe grazed his left arm. Despite his efforts of dodging the attacks, he was still becoming wounded.

"If you have any last words, kid, spit them out now," the female grim reaper said.

Ciel bent forward and held his belly with his wounded arm and used the other to stop that arm from bleeding out. "Woof."

"Mocking me?" she hissed. "Say goodnight, you runt."

She raised her scythe for the final blow, but as she brought it down something peculiar happened.


	10. Chapter 10

Ciel opened his eyes to find himself cradled in Sebastian's arms. He weakly stretched his neck to look down and saw that they were standing on top of a roof, staring down at the enraged shinigami.

"It seems you are after my young master, Nolan Sykes," Sebastian called down to her with a smile.

"Demons get on my nerves easily," she spat.

"Ciel!"

Ciel recognized the voice of his master, and so turned his head to see what he could be fussing about. To Ciel's surprise, the shadows he saw earlier had seemed to multiply. Nolan laughed.

"They are coming," she said disdainfully.

"What does she mean?" Ciel asked his butler tensely. "What's going on, Sebastian?"

Sebastian looked out at the masses of shadows. "I believe that they are retaliating, my lord." He smiled down gently at his master. "I'm rather surprised your own instincts haven't kicked in yet."

Ciel's eyes widened with disbelief. "But, why would they come here?"

Sebastian slid a hand under Ciel's head, pulling the child closer to him. "They crave, my lord."

Ciel still couldn't understand what Sebastian meant, but when he saw the dangerous pink glow in Sebastian's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to ask more questions.

"Ciel, get away from him!" Sylvester stood up now, wobbly at first. "Come!"

Ciel obediently tried to get down, but Sebastian refused to let go of his young lord, instead resting Ciel's head on his chest and holding him even tighter.

"Sebastian, let me go!" Ciel yelled. "I order you!" When there was no lightening of his grip, Ciel warned, "Don't make me repeat myself."

Realizing there was no convincing his butler, Ciel tried pushing himself away from Sebastian. He ultimately gave up when his death scythe injuries began to sting painfully and exhaust him.

"I hate demons," Nolan muttered, making her way toward Sylvester and grabbing his throat; the teen stared fearlessly at her intense green stare. "But I also hate the humans who dedicate their lives to completing a contract with them. How utterly foolish." She stared up at Ciel with ridicule. "Let's watch as your contract crumples before your eyes."

"No!" Ciel struggled in Sebastian's arms once more. "Sylvester!"

"How shall we do this?" Nolan asked Sylvester. "Any requests on how I end your young life?"

"Yeah," Sylvester whispered. "Come closer."

Nolan leaned in out of amusement; Sylvester slapped her across the face and dove into the rubble of the flaming building. Nolan let him go. "Aw, that's cute. You think you can outwit me. Silly child."

Leaving him be for the moment, Nolan paused as she saw Sebastian jump down from the rooftop, still cradling Ciel.

"I think that's quite enough," Sebastian said.

Nolan folded her arms. "I don't have time for this, anyway. I have souls to reap." She held up her death scythe and turned her back on them. "But don't think that this is the last you'll be seeing of me, Sebastian Michaelis. Our story has just only begun." With that, the grim reaper ran from the scene, eventually fading into the thick smoke of the fire.

"Where is Sylvester?" Ciel demanded to know. He began to squirm again, calling out his master's name.

"How can you worry about anything, all torn up like that?" Sebastian spoke soothingly. "You're losing so much blood from all those cuts."

"I will not relax until I know Sylvester is safe," Ciel declared. Fortunately he saw a black-haired head peak back out of the rubble, and Ciel met the dark green eyes of his master. At last, it was time for Ciel to figure out what had been on his mind for so long.

"Sebastian, are you still with me?"

Sebastian blinked at his little lord, only to smile and dip his head respectfully. "As long as the contract remains, I am to remain your faithful butler."

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, take us back to the manor." This time by choice, Ciel relaxed and rested his head against Sebastian as his butler carried him back the short distance, closely accompanied by the drained Carpenter. Once they entered the mansion, Sylvester went straight to details.

"Who was that 'Nolan' chick, where did you go, who where those dark people, and just _what_ the _hell_ is going on?"

Sebastian sighed. "Why don't you both rest up for the night and I'll explain in the morning."

"How do we know you'll even _be here _in the morning?" Sylvester challenged.

"Sylvester," Ciel said in a steady voice. "Leave it be for the night." _It's for the best he doesn't have anything else to stress about tonight, _Ciel thought. And to his relief, Sylvester didn't say another word as he went up to bed. Ciel, on the other hand, had the right to know what his butler was up to.

As Ciel stood in his room and Sebastian dressed him out of his dirty and torn clothes and into his pajamas, he asked, "What do you mean they're retaliating?"

"I don't think you need to worry yourself about that quite yet."

As soon as Sebastian had finished, Ciel stepped back. "What is there that I don't need to worry about?" Ciel demanded. "Demons are coming to this world out of craving for human souls? How do I know you won't be impacted by this, Sebastian?"

"My lord, I said I would gladly discuss this in the morning."

"No, you shall tell me _now._"

"I simply cannot."

"Sebastian...!"

The tailcoat butler offered a bow and placed a hand to his chest. "In the morning, my lord."

Ciel groaned angrily, tempted to run up to his disobedient butler and give him a few hard slaps across the face. He didn't even know why he held back from doing so.

"Sleep peacefully, my young lord." The smile Sebastian gave before he left was obviously a blatant fake. Ciel watched in furious silence as he exited the room without another word. More refusing to sleep than unable to, Ciel stood by his bedside as he waited for morning. If he had to wait overnight for Sebastian to confess whatever was happening, then he would await the rising sun with disciplined patience.

* * *

**((Sorry for the short chapter!)) ~Thank you so much if you've read this far! I plan to make around 26 chapters for this fan fiction. I appreciate every review I get and I'm glad to continue this story for everyone who enjoys it! ^_^**


	11. Chapter 11

Ciel was surprised to find himself waking up in his bed. He remembered standing at his bedside as he waited apprehensively for morning. He hadn't actually planned on falling asleep, as Sebastian had requested. _That damn demon, _Ciel muttered silently, realizing Sebastian must have found him falling asleep on his feet and put him to bed. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ciel made his way downstairs. He was relieved to find Sebastian hadn't run off again; instead the butler was preparing breakfast. Sylvester was there as well, offering up hostile glances at Sebastian while he eat.

"Sir," Sebastian said smiling as he minded his master's arrival. "I let you sleep in. I hope you don't mind."

"No," Ciel grunted, giving a huge yawn and stretching his arms. He glared at Sebastian. "So, where did you go off to for so long?"

Sebastian stopped what he was doing, the smile still glued to his handsome face. "I had a bit of trouble with the grim reaper, Nolan. Afterwards I returned to the hotel to see you two had left, so I took it upon myself to bring Pluto and your belongings back to London."

"So you were willing to just leave us in Norway?" Ciel asked hotly.

"I thought you two might be busy with another of the Earl's quests, so I did not wish to disturb you."

Ciel burned with anger. "We were not fine. It would have been better if you'd been there!"

Sebastian smirked. "I see now, my lord: You are incapable of handling a situation without my assistance. Very well; I shall no longer leave you unattended."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "How dare you! That wasn't what I meant at all."

Sebastian placed his fingers against his lips innocently. "It wasn't?"

"No."

Sebastian sighed. "I guess it's just you being a child then, master."

"What?" Ciel ran up to slap him, but Sebastian easily grabbed his wrist, taming the demon Phantomhive.

"If you two are quite done," Sylvester chipped in, having finished eating. "I'd like to hear more about what the devil's going on over London."

Sebastian grinned, letting go of Ciel. "Certainly."

"So it's true. Demons are really invading this world."

The three were sitting in the ballroom, along with Pluto, who kept near Ciel's feet and rubbed up against him like a cat. Sebastian nodded at Sylvester's words. "Yes. Something is driving them into this behavior, but even I can't put a name to it."

"Will this affect us, Sebastian?" Ciel asked.

"I have felt the urge already, my lord, but I am not sure what will become of you."

"What will happen if you eventually cannot resist your instincts any longer?"

Sebastian lowered his eyes, a slight hint of unease about them. "There is no way to be sure."

Ciel looked on desperately. "Sebastian, you cannot leave my side. That is an order!"

Sebastian looked up. "My lord-"

"No! That is the end of this!" Ciel stood up now, eyes glowing with distraught. "Never. You may never leave me."

"Don't upset yourself," Sebastian said solemnly. "There is no need to work yourself up over this. I will take charge of protecting you as well as keeping the other demons away as you and the Earl complete the contract. ...I shall do this for as long as I can keep control."

Ciel's eyes widened. _It's as if he's admitting he can't hold onto himself for much longer... But he must. He can never betray me, and he knows that as well._

"Very well, Sebastian," Ciel managed to say coolly.

As the demon butler went off to continue his daily routine, Sylvester spoke with Ciel.

"I looked further into the Blackwells this morning, and now I know where that friend of Winter's is at, or use to be. Let's hope she's still there and actually knows something that's useful to us."

Taking Sylvester's car, they drove in hopeful silence through London. With the threat of chaotic demons and a rogue reaper, Sebastian tagged along, but they managed to reach their destination without his assistance. They walked up together toward the decent house, and Sebastian rang the doorbell.

A woman who matched the description opened the door. "Are you Susan Camilla?" Sylvester asked.

"Oh, um, yes." She seemed confused, blinking at the strangers at her doorstep. "And who might you be?"

"I am Earl Sylvester Carpenter. Years ago you gave a girl named Winter Blackwell a sapphire compass. Is that true?"

"No, I am afraid not." Her voice held bewilderment. "Though she and my son got along so well. She was such a sweet girl."

Sylvester glanced at Ciel. "So apparently the compass does belong to the murderer."

Susan's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

Sylvester looked back up at her. "I'm afraid Winter has passed away. I am investigating this since apparently no one else - even the goddamn police - aren't willing to do so."

Susan held her hands to her mouth, her eyes glowing sadly. "How dreadful."

"Carter lied to us," Sylvester said. "But it's too much of a hassle to go back to Norway, especially with everything that's going on." He looked back to Susan. "Please, do you know anything about the Blackwells? Do you happen to have any information, or anything the slightest bit peculiar about relatives or friends? Perhaps there was an enemy of hers?"

"Oh, no!" Susan exclaimed. "No one held any sort of grudge against Winter; they had no reason to. I did talk to her mother often, since we were such good friends. That was all a while back."

"She was eighteen when she died," Sylvester pointed out. "She had plenty of time to make enemies. But if you have nothing more to offer us, I believe that's all I need here. Thank you for your time."

"Wait. Oh, I do hate getting into such dire situations, but I hear you've have trouble with Carter Blackwell, Winter's cousin?"

Sylvester nodded.

"I have his number with me. Would you like to call him?"

Sylvester blinked at this. "If you would be so kind..."

Susan dialed the number and waited for a response. _"Hello...?"_

"Hello, Carter," Susan said. "It's me, Susan."

_"Oh hey, I remember you! So what's up?"_

Susan shifted her eyes awkwardly. "There's someone with me who would like to speak with you." She handed the phone over to Sylvester, who eagerly placed it to his ear.

"Hey, remember me, you cheeky bastard?"

There was a brief silence. _"Um, Sylvester?"_

"Yes."

_"I'm sorry, what did you want?"_

"Are you toying with me? I think it's safe to say you outright lied to me. Susan never gave Winter that damned compass."

_"Oh hey, come on, little man! I get mixed up sometimes, y'know?"_

_What an utter waste of time, _Ciel thought as he listened to the slang words and excuses from Carter and the furious curses from Sylvester.

"You'd just better hope I don't come all the way back over there just to kick your ass!" Sylvester hissed through the phone. "I'm this close from blowing holes through you with my gun!"

_"Calm down! It was an honest mistake, man."_

"That's what I'll be saying when they find your body in the sewers!"

Someone snatched the phone from Sylvester's hand, and he shot his head up to meet Sebastian's steady stare as the phone was turned off. "That conversation was going nowhere," Sebastian said before the Earl could protest. "There was no getting information out of him, especially not like that."

Sylvester's eyebrow twitched. "He could have known something..."

"And you thought you would figure it out like that?" Ciel challenged. "Besides, we're obviously not welcome here anymore," he added, looking over at the startled Susan who held back with tears in her eyes. "Let's just be on our way."

Sebastian handed the phone back Susan. "I apologize for any trouble we might have caused you."

Susan looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd go this far..."

"Come, Sebastian," Ciel said. "We should leave her be now."

When they arrived back at the manor, Sylvester was still uncooperative. He slammed his fists against the wall, his eyes tightly shut as he yelled advanced swear words here and there.

"Sebastian and I will continue to look around," Ciel told the troubled teenager, gathering up files about the Blackwell family. "You should just stay here and rest."

Sylvester glared. "I'm suppose to be doing the searching. You're just my bodyguard."

"You're in no shape to be doing this. I don't mind going about this, anyway. Just..." Ciel glanced uncertainly at his master. "Stay here."

And so the demons Phantomhive and Michaelis walked down the streets of London together. Ciel decided to target Winter's uncle, Terrence Blackwell, a high-up businessman who enjoyed throwing adult parties. Ciel was uncomfortably reminded of the perverted Vicount Druitt and Lau, who ran an opium den. Now, in 1948, Ciel had no need to worry about them anymore.

"I think this is it here," Ciel said suddenly, looking up at a tall, wide-spread building that was owned privately by Terrence. Lights were shining brightly through the countless windows; something was certainly going on inside. Ciel opened the front doors and was disturbed to see showy outfits and drunks in every corner. There were bars, buffets and dances; the air smelled of alcohol and some people were sprawled soundlessly on the ground.

"There's no way this is legal," Ciel muttered. Still eager to find the owner of this rotten place, Ciel continued on, shoving his way through the stoned and deadly calm crowd. He was utterly disgusted by everything around him, but at last he found the man that matched the photograph in the files. Ciel approached the man head-on, who sat laughing hoarsely in a chair surrounded by women.

"Are you Terrence Blackwell?" Ciel asked.

The man stopped laughing and narrowed his pale blue eyes. His dark gray hair was slicked over with grease, and a few minor scars showed on his arms and wrinkled face.

"Yeah, and who are you, kid?"

"I am Ciel Phantomhive, and have come here in favor of the Earl Sylvester Carpenter. Your niece died more than five months ago. He is currently investigating her death and wishes to know if you have any knowledge of the murder."

"...What the hell are you talking about?"

Ciel sighed. "Winter Blackwell? She was murdered in her room. Although her body was not there, her blood and the randomly placed compass was evidence enough of a kidnap, and she was never found. We can easily assume her death, and although the police are having none of it, her friend Earl is intensely thrilled with the case."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but I never even got the message of her death." Terrence gave a perturbed laugh. "To think, even her own uncle wasn't made aware of this! I may be a prostitute and few other things at that, but can I not feel love for my own niece?"

Ciel narrowed his eyes, perplexed by the drunk man's words. "So you know nothing? You didn't even know about this event?"

Terrence sighed. "Afraid not."

"Dammit," Ciel muttered. It seemed he and Sylvester were just going around in circles now. None of Winter's friends or relatives claimed to have any knowledge about the murder... they hadn't even known it took place!

"Thanks for time," Ciel said quietly. "Come, Sebastian."

"And where're you two going?"

Ciel blinked at a women with short black hair and dark eyes coming toward them. She smiled, her eyes clouded and obviously drunk. _Wait, I remember, _Ciel thought. _The files. This is Terrence's wife and Winter's aunt, Lucy._

"Follow me, boys," she slurred, eyes jumping from Sebastian to Ciel then back again. "I think I may know a thing or two... about this..."

Nodding comfortably, Ciel and Sebastian followed her into a dark room where they found themselves alone. Closing the door behind them, Lucy walked up behind Sebastian and wrapped her arms around his neck; the butler remained standing silently as she stroked his chin and pressed herself against him.

"So," Ciel began, his voice tense. "You know something about the murder of Winter Blackwell?"

Lucy smiled dangerously at him. "Yeah, I do. And I'd be more than willing to... help you out..." She stared at Sebastian. "If you pay."

"Pay how?" Ciel demanded, become more startled with each second in the dark, hot room.

"With this quiet fellow here." She ran a finger down Sebastian's face. "What do you say?"

Ciel began to shake, party with shock but mostly with utter rage. "You have a husband, don't you?! Terrence!"

Lucy lowered her gaze back down at him. "Give us a few minutes, kid. That's all I need, then I'll spill out everything I know."

"How do I know you have anything to offer?" Ciel challenged.

"Trust me, I do." She smirked. "Run along now."

"Master, it's alright." Sebastian gave Ciel a reassuring look. "Please leave. This will be over momentarily."

Ciel began to walk out, but not without looking up at Lucy first. "You're sick." Without waiting for her reaction, Ciel exited the room and closed the door. Observing the area around him, he noticed Terrence, who was now over at the bar. He was tempted to let him know what his wife was doing, but thought better of it. If he gave her away, there would be no chance of getting any information out of her. Not wanting to hear what went on on the other side of the door, Ciel made his way through the crowd and sat in an empty chair. The constant laughing and talking was giving him a headache.

"Hey, kid? You alright?"

Ciel looked up and opened his eyes. A young man of no more than thirty was bent over Ciel, studying him critically.

"Yes," Ciel moaned.

"You shouldn't be here, y'know... Nasty stuff happens in places like this. We wouldn't want to scar you."

"I'm merely waiting for my butler," Ciel told him.

Before he could respond, an older man came over and picked Ciel up under the arms, lifting him straight into the air.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ciel exclaimed. "Unhand me at once, you cretin!"

"How old are you?" the older man demanded in a rough voice. "You have to be at least 21 to enter this building."

"That is none of your concern," Ciel claimed. "Anyway, I am with an adult."

"Yeah? Well, where is he?"

"That is none of your business! Let me go at once!"

Ciel slammed his fist down on the man's arm with brutal force; the unexpected pain stunned the man and he let go immediately. Ciel hadn't meant to injure him, but his demonic powers were stronger than necessary. Ciel ran away from them and hid behind one of the empty bar counters. He stayed down for a few minutes; no one seemed to notice the accident.

But when Ciel lifted his head up over the counter, a hand met his throat and Ciel was thrown across the room. Hardly anyone, stoned as they were, paid any mind. He stood right back up, searching for Terrence, but the man had disappeared, and Ciel had forgotten where the room Sebastian was at was located. Suddenly there was another blow to his face, and the same hand shoved Ciel's head into bottles of wine, spilling out the liquid, drenching his hair and injecting shards of glass inside of him.

The man grabbed the collar of Ciel's shirt and pulled the child close his sneering face. "I'm going to kill you now," he whispered into Ciel's ear. "But first I'm gonna have a bit of fun with you." Ciel let himself go limp as he was dragged into a dark corner and pressed up against a wall. The man slowly began to remove his clothing...

"You bastard!" Ciel turned around, grabbing the man by his shirt and shoving him against the wall, turning the tables on the situation.

"H-How are you...?" The man's words sank into yelling as Ciel twisted his arm back, then continued to kick the man so he fell to his knees. The demon knelt down and gripped his hair in his fingers.

"Say goodnight, pervert." With that, Ciel sharply struck his head against the wall. With a new nosebleed, the man fell unconscious. Making sure no one paid any mind to this, Ciel finally found his way back to where Sebastian and Lucy were spending their time together. He waited outside the door for a while longer; when he heard nothing change, Ciel became agitated. He turned the knob slowly and peeked inside, but the room was too dark to make anything out. When he opened the door further, the light from the outside offered some help.

Ciel glimpsed the ruffling of blankets on a bed and two figures atop one another before he dove back out, horrified at what he saw. He was still blushing when the door opened and Sebastian appeared. "Sir, are you alright?" he asked, a worried look in his eyes. "What did you see?"

"N-Nothing," Ciel stammered, awkwardly trying to keep his voice steady and make eye contact with his butler. "So, did she have anything?"

Sebastian gave a small bow. "Why don't you come in and find out."

Ciel came inside the small bedroom and saw Lucy sitting on the bed. "You know," she said, her voice unsteady. "It's rude to barge in on adults like that."

Ciel growled angrily. "Just tell us what you know!"

Lucy looked up at the ceiling, in a daze. "My niece had friends that would bully her; she told me once or twice that she was afraid to go back to school. She refused to tell her friends, Sylvester included. They would make fun of her hobbies and her glasses... which was why she wore contacts since she was in the 6th grade. She was shy and let people get to her and use her to their advantage."

"Yes, that's all very well," Ciel said. "But can you get to the point?"

"Kyle Russell and Riley Philips," she said. "Those are the names of the children who bullied her throughout elementary and middle school. I don't know anything about her days of high school, but those two are the only people I can think of who would probably hurt Winter."

"School bullies wouldn't go so far as to kill the victim themselves, would they?" Ciel questioned. "I highly doubt they have anything to do with this."

Lucy shrugged. "Sorry."

"How foolish to think you could be of any help," Ciel said. "What a waste of our time. Sebastian." He exited the room, followed closely by Sebastian. When they'd left the building, Ciel stopped and looked back. "If we've learned anything," he stated. "It's that very few of the Blackwells are aware of Winter's disappearance, even after all these months."

"But was it wise to leave it at that, my lord?" Sebastian said. "Would it not be useful to know the whereabouts of each suspect?"

"What, do you mean the school bullies?" Ciel asked. "Unless their connection with Winter was more dire than I thought, I don't believe they are even worth our time." Ciel inhaled uneasily. "I just don't understand... how can everyone be so clueless?"

"I'm not sure, my lord," Sebastian replied. "Perhaps this case is more advanced than it appears."

Ciel glared suspiciously up at his butler. "I suppose." _...Does he know something I don't? Damn him!_

Sebastian appeared to be studying Ciel's ruffled clothes and messy hair, which was carrying shards of bloodied glass and dripping wine. "Master, did you get into a scuffle while I was away?"

"What? Oh, yes. It was nothing. I'm fine."

Sebastian observed his master further before snatching Ciel off his feet and carrying him back. "Sebastian...!" Ciel protested, but in the end let himself be carried, as Ciel was tired and could still detect the strong stench of alcohol about him.

"When we get back, I'll make you a hot bath, my lord." Ciel ignored Sebastian's comforting smile and instead let himself fret even more over the murder/kidnapping case. What if they never get anywhere? Ciel worried himself over whether the contract would ever be completed. He could already tell that with each day Sylvester was becoming more agitated. But there was nothing Ciel could do about that.

Ciel looked up at the dark sky and was surprised to see it was night already. No demons seemed to be roaming the area expect for them, which Ciel was grateful for. He didn't plan on having anymore excitement for the rest of the day. Suddenly he remembered the threat of Sebastian eventually giving way to his instincts and therefore turning against Ciel. But for now the young demon Phantomhive found it easy to trust the person who'd been by his side through it all. For now, that wouldn't be a problem, not until a while longer. Ciel's eyes began to get heavy with one worrying thought after another, and finally he allowed himself to relax and was soon sound asleep, safe in Sebastian's arms.


	12. Chapter 12

Sylvester, Ciel and Sebastian were driving down the streets of London. Sebastian drove as Sylvester and Ciel sat in the back as they searched through murder files. Sylvester recently heard tell of a kidnapping case of an 8-year-old boy, who was currently being held hostage somewhere in the area. The kidnapping took place at a school field trip as the child was left unattended; very few clues were picked up. The top suspect was where they were heading now: The estate of a rich man who lived alone.

"_'8-year-old Timothy Arthur disappears during a school field trip. Civilians at the scene claim to see a strange man carrying something to his car in a quick fashion,'_" Ciel read off the files. Sylvester waited for him to finish restating the paragraphs before speaking what was on his mind.

"That's the kid we met at the gas station a few weeks back," he told Ciel, studying the photograph taken of the child.

Ciel nodded. "Yes." _I wonder why he should care about this at all, _Ciel thought.

"Oh, shit-" Sylvester yelled.

The car came to an abrupt halt as Sebastian hit the brakes. "What was that, Sebastian?" Ciel demanded when the car stopped completely.

"You came out of nowhere," Sebastian muttered as he got out of the car. Sylvester and Ciel followed and caught Sebastian just as he picked up a charcoal colored cat in his arms.

Ciel face-palmed. "Dammit, Sebastian!"

"But I couldn't just leave him here on the side of the road, my lord," Sebastian said softly as he put the cat up to his face.

Sylvester smiled. "He has a thing for cats?"

"Sebastian, put it down at once!" Ciel exclaimed, ignoring his master's question. "We're wasting time here."

"I say we keep it," Sylvester said, to Ciel's utmost dissatisfaction. "I like cats, and he'd make a good companion for Pluto."

"No, it would not!" Ciel protested. "And what about my allergies?!"

"I'm sure you can handle it, Ciel... what's a little fur ever done to anyone? Sebastian, take him with us." Ciel stood speechlessly as they went back to the car with the injured cat. That had all escalated too quickly for Ciel's liking. With the cat lied down in the passenger's seat, they continued on their way; Ciel was especially peeved at Sebastian's merriness.

But the good mood vanished gradually as they neared their destination. Though to the teens' surprise, Sebastian pulled up in the parking lot of an abandoned hospital instead of the house of the kidnapper.

"What the devil are you playing at?" Ciel muttered. But Sebastian ignored his master and the elusive butler opened the door for Ciel. When the 13-year-old got out, he noticed another car parked a distance away. It matched the car shown in the files.

"How-" Ciel began, but stopped when Sebastian placed a gloved finger against his lips.

"You see, I am simply one hell of a butler."

Inside the hospital was dark and reeked of different odors. The floors were dirtied, walls were peeling and each corner was rotted with traces of spider webs. Small amounts of light showed through the stained windows.

Sylvester pulled out his gun in response to a small creaking from the upstairs, followed by footfall. "Come out where I can see you, coward. And bring the kid." After a minute of silence, footsteps came downstairs and a man in black clothing with a bulletproof mask revealed himself, holding Timmy with his arm around the child's throat with a knife pressed up below the chin. Suddenly two people appeared from behind him, both with guns directly aimed at Sylvester; the Earl lowered his gun.

"I have more guests if you're interested in joining them," said the man holding Timmy, his voice muffled by the mask. "In about ten minutes this whole building will fill up to the brim with toxic gas. If you want to try and save 'em, be my guest. I won't stop you. But you gotta be quick enough." He tossed a stopwatch at Sylvester's feet.

"This is all a mere game to you," Sebastian said, glaring without amusement. "How absolutely vulgar."

"Be quick about it," the man concluded, ignoring Sebastian. Without warning, he slit the young Timmy's throat and shoved the child to the ground. The three men then immediately shoved their way past the demons and the Earl and out the door of the building.

Sylvester knelt over the bleeding boy. "We'll get you out of here. Hang on just a bit longer."

Ciel looked to his butler. "Sebastian, get the kid out of here and to the car. I'll watch over Sylvester."

"Then who shall watch over you, my lord?" Sebastian teased.

Ciel tensed irritably. "Just do it, Sebastian! Stay with him and the cat until we return with the captives."

"Yes, my young lord."

Ciel followed Sylvester upstairs to begin their hasty search. Sylvester kept the stopwatch held firmly in his hand.

"We have less than nine minutes," Sylvester told him.

They reached a hall that stretched down until there was nothing but darkness; both walls were patterned with different rooms. "I'll search the left, you search the right," Ciel said. Sylvester nodded his agreement. When they reached the end of the hall, there had been no trace of any captives.

"Six minutes," Sylvester warned.

"We're wasting time," Ciel muttered, then yelled out, "Can anyone here me? ...Say something!"

There was no response.

"Anyone?!" Sylvester screamed. When there was still no answer, he shook his head. "Screw it. That man just wanted to mess with our heads."

Giving up, they both ran down the hall and back to the stairs. Before they could reach them, a shadow emerged from the bottom of the steps.

"Sebastian?" Ciel asked.

But the creature that came forth was not Sebastian. It had piercing eyes and tall frame, surrounded by a black cloud and on the creature were dark feathered wings... It was a demon.

"What the hell...?" Sylvester exclaimed. The demonic being had saliva flowing from its parted lips, which revealed razor sharp teeth. Its eyes glowed fiercely, with a cunning that held no room for love. It was a true sight of evil.

"What..." Ciel whispered. "What is..." It launched out a hand at the young demon, grabbing Ciel's throat and lifting him up so they met eye-to-eye. Ciel found himself dumbfounded as he stared back at one of his own kind. _Why... why is he not saying anything... _Suddenly there was dark red staining Ciel's vision, and when it cleared he found himself on the floor next to the demon's decapitated head. In front of Ciel stood Nolan Sykes.

She swung her bloodied death scythe, sighing contemptuously. "Damn demon was infected."

"Infected?" Ciel asked.

She nodded. "Yes. And he was trying to get you infected, as well. But please don't think I meant to save you," she added. "Currently its our job to take them out. Since you're clearly not infected I won't bother wasting my time on you, but from what I know it appears you have but three minutes or so to get that little Carpenter out of here."

Ciel rose to his feet and looked back at Sylvester. "Yes. We must hurry."

"Just so you know," Nolan put in. "There really are captives here... downstairs of this hospital, in the basement. They looked so pathetic all tied up and blindfolded like that... it made quite the picture."

"There isn't time," Ciel muttered. "Even if Sebastian and I could get to them... it would be too late."

Nolan shrugged. "So what? You can't save everybody. Now if you'll excuse me, boys, I have some demons to exterminate." As she turned her back to them, Ciel stepped forward.

"Wait. About what you said... Demons becoming infected. What does that mean?"

Nolan smiled back at him. "I'm not obligated to educate you about this. Just hope it doesn't happen to you."

Ciel groaned angrily. "Answer me!"

Nolan chuckled and walked back down the stairs. Outraged at her scornful behavior, Ciel pursued her. But before he could grab her there was a strange beeping coming from a distance away...

"Ciel!" Sylvester yelled. "We can handle this outside!"

The three hurried for the door and narrowly escaped in time, leaving the captives to die inside. Ciel immediately went for Nolan, blocking her path.

"I have the right to know what's happening," Ciel claimed. "Especially if this includes Sebastian and myself."

Nolan sighed at the child. "I'll tell you if you promise to shut up afterward." When Ciel nodded, she began, "There's some sort of plague going around that's affecting the demons' powers of self-control. Is they become infected, their levels of sanity drop so lose that eventually they shall lose themselves entirely, mentally breaking down and questioning their very own existence. Because of the mass amounts of unnecessary destruction they're causing, grim reapers have been trying to take out all of the infected in the hope that they will become wiped out. But it's all just causing extra work for us reapers."

"A plague..." Ciel's eyes grew wide, distraught by what he was hearing. "How do you recognize the symptoms?"

"There's quite a few ways, actually," Nolan told him. "Immense pain, confusion, losing your train of thought... blemishes to the skin as well. But it's easier to just take a look at their eyes. Although you appear normal during the first stages of infection, your eyes begin to lose their glow after you're truly gone. After that, the victim can no longer feel anything. They are machines."

"I-Is that why they've come to this world?" Ciel asked. "Because they have lost their way?"

Nolan shrugged. "Heck if I know. I was informed of what I needed to know, and that's all." She narrowed her eyes at Ciel. "Now keep up your end of the agreement and leave me alone." Ciel stared profoundly as the female shinigami left. Ciel saw Sebastian coming in from the opposite direction.

"Are you alright, my lord?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, no thanks to you," Ciel responded, his eyes closed and head turned. "We didn't manage to save the captives. But we did get what we came here for." Ciel looked back at the car, where Timmy was situated. "How is he holding up?"

"He's alive," Sebastian told him. "I took care of that myself."

"He'd better be alright," Sylvester snapped suddenly. "I didn't waste my time here to get nothing accomplished." And the young Earl marched his way back to the car, his frustration practically burning out of his ears.

"So," Sebastian said to Ciel, "What did happen in there?"

"A demon attacked us," Ciel admitted. "That grim reaper saved us, and she also gave some useful information just now, if you caught any of it."

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. Apparently there is a plague affecting only our species."

"We'd best be careful," Ciel put out, carefully looking up at Sebastian. "I don't want either of us getting infected. I almost was."

Sebastian put a hand to his chest. "Certainly, my lord. I shall not allow any such harm to come to you."

Ciel nodded. "Very well, Sebastian." Ciel glared back at the hospital, the toxic fumes filling the building up to the brim, as promised. "Let's take our leave on this place."


	13. Chapter 13

It was evening at Carpenter Manor. The young Earl sat at his desk, reading the newspaper and sipping his tea. Ciel was sitting in the main room alone; soon after they returned Timmy to the police, the young demon's mind was revolving around what Nolan had told him since. A plague was infecting numerous demons, repealing their natural instincts and invading their minds. There was no telling why they would invade this world in such numbers, though Ciel assumed it was a desperate act of escaping their own mental hell.

_I can't imagine what would happen if either of us picked it up, _Ciel stressed. _I can never betray Sylvester, but more importantly I can never forget who I am. And neither can Sebastian._

If Sebastian abandoned Ciel, there was no telling what would happen. Ciel was snapped out of his thoughts by the soft meowing of a cat, and he bent over to pick up the stray Sebastian had rescued from the streets. For the first time he noticed something about its eyes.

_Mismatched eyes. _Ciel placed the creature on his lap and stroked its back. He listened to the soft, raspy purrs emitted from its body; Ciel closed his eyes and let the rhythmic mellow sounds soothe him.

"Master?"

Ciel was startled out of a doze. "Sebastian?" he mumbled.

"My lord. I apologize for waking you, but the Earl requests your presence."

Ciel grumpily made his way to Sylvester's office, stopping at the door. "Did you need me for something?"

"Ciel," Sylvester began, looking up from the papers in his hands. "My Aunt Veronica and her husband are arranging a get-together at a privately-owned bar, if you remember her from the Christmas family reunion I held here at the manor almost a month ago. Veronica is my father's sister."

Ciel offered a simple nod.

"Since it's New Year's Eve tomorrow," Sylvester continued, "This family reunion will be of some importance, won't it?" Sylvester's emerald eyes dimmed. "I know that woman hates me. She never took a liking to her younger brother - my own late father - and she's made it clear as day that she despises me for the past sixteen years. Because I have _his _eyes..." Sylvester's grip on the papers tightened. "I never asked for this. I hate my parents." Suddenly he noticed Ciel was just silently looking on, and crudely said, "Sorry, I know you don't care."

Ciel looked up. "It's not that, but I would appreciate it if you could get to the point of all this."

"We're going. It's an adult party and the whole thing lasts from 12:00 AM tonight, and ends midnight at the end of New Year's Day. We're only staying for some of it, and I need you there 'cause I obviously don't trust my family."

"Very well," Ciel replied. "Will that be all?"

Sylvester nodded curtly. "Yes."

Ciel left the Earl alone and returned to the main room. The cat was still lying there, curled up and waiting for him. But before Ciel could resettle himself, be noticed the absence of his butler. "Sebastian?" he called. When there was no reply, he swore under his breath. "Not this again... where is he..." Ciel ran out the front door and immediately caught sight of Sebastian, along with another familiar face.

"Grell?" Ciel called. "Why are you here?"

"When I heard Bassy was back in town, I simply couldn't stay away," Grell replied simply as he rubbed up lovingly against the solemn demon.

"I didn't have much of a choice, master," Sebastian sighed. "He followed me here."

"I had to make sure he wasn't infected like the others," Grell told Ciel. "You, on the other hand, the world could do without."

Ciel distended with irritation and indignation. "That's all very well, but I don't think you need to worry about Sebastian."

"Oh, really?" Grell insisted. "With you putting him through all that danger? Surely there needs to be a grim reaper there to protect you boys, and I'm the one cut out for it!"

"Don't be absurd," Ciel said dismissively. "There's no way-"

Ciel stopped mid-sentence as Grell ran for him, and gasped as the grim reaper closed his lips forcefully with two gloved fingers. "There's _absolutely_ no way I'm leaving you two alone," he finished softly for Ciel. "With all that's happening you two will surely die if one of the infected gets a hold of you," he concluded, then deviously laughed.

"And how exactly does a demon pass on the disease?" Sebastian asked.

Grell shrugged, letting go of Ciel's lips to face him. "Not sure."

"How can you not be sure?" Ciel demanded. "It is contagious, isn't it? You should know... After all, your kind is trying to wipe them out."

Grell looked down at him curiously. "How did you know that?"

"Nolan Sykes," Ciel replied. "You know her?"

"Oh, the blonde," Grell said dramatically with an eye-roll. "And of course I know her, though I wish I never have."

"She told us a thing or two about this plague," Sebastian said as he walked over and stopped to stand next to them. "Apparently there is no cure for it?"

"Not that we know of," Grell confirmed. "We've just been killing them all off. But I don't think there's a way to actually dispose of the disease itself. I don't see how you could."

"Are we expected to just wait this out, then?" Ciel exclaimed. "While demons come to this world killing people and infecting other demons, and grim reapers trying to wipe them out... only to slow them down?"

"And for how much longer?" Sebastian added. "At this rate they shall take over this world as well."

"Hey, don't ask me," Grell said, waving his arms. "You can figure all that out on your own. I'm only here to make sure my sweet Bassy doesn't leave me." He took Sebastian's hands in his own and gazed up at the reserved demon with glowing green eyes. "My bed gets lonely at night. Surely you could stop by for a visit this evening, just you and me together."

Sebastian suppressed a shudder. "No, thank you. Besides," he added, looking to his young master. "I am obligated to be sure of my master's safety, and stay by his side. Isn't that right, my young lord?"

Ciel nodded shortly. "Quite."

"You two can be so boring, you know that?" Grell released his grip on Sebastian and walked backwards away from them and the mansion. "Ta-ta for now, boys!"

Ciel and Sebastian returned to the main room of the manor. "What a bother," Ciel complained as Sebastian closed the door. "I'll never get any rest at this rate, especially with that party tonight."

"Rest, my lord?" Sebastian asked. "Are you not feeling well?"

Ciel didn't meet his eyes. "Not of late. But there's no need for worry." The demon child looked back up. "There's no room for weakness. Not anymore."

"Very well, but I shall prepare a hot bath for you before the party." Sebastian put a hand to his chest. "Allow me to do this much for my lord."

Ciel nodded. "Yes."

* * *

Ciel opened his eyes, squinting as the brightness blurred his sight momentarily. When his eyes adjusted he saw that he was in his pajamas lying down on his bed. He looked up and found Sebastian standing beside him.

The butler smiled. "You fell asleep in the bath, so I took you to bed."

"Did I?" Ciel yawned and rearranged himself, lifting his head wearily. "You could have woken me."

"I thought I might let you wake on your own," Sebastian explained. "You seemed so sensitive, I told the Earl you would have to miss this evening's banquet."

Ciel's eyelids flew open. "You what?!" He shot upright. "What time is it?"

"It's only 7:00, my lord, but the Earl wanted to get there early. He left at 6:00."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "You knew I was going, so why did you tell him I couldn't?"

Sebastian merely smiled. Outraged at his butler's ambiguous behavior, Ciel jumped off the bed and stood before his butler. "Fetch my proper clothing."

Sebastian then obediently dressed his master and Ciel left the mansion entirely.

"Master, where are you going?" Sebastian called as the younger demon stormed out the door.

"Are you trying to get the kid killed?" Ciel snapped. "The police are after him! Why do you think we had to turn Timmy into the police, and not the Earl? He's a wanted criminal and it's as if you want him and I separated."

Ciel whipped around and ran from the manor. Fortunately he knew where the bar was located, which saved him unnecessary trouble. Sebastian called after his master again, but there came no response. Ciel did not stop for anything, refusing even to glance back to see whether his butler was following him.

* * *

"I'm so glad you could make it, Sylvester dear."

"Happy to be here."

Sylvester made conversation with dear old relatives as he made his way through the bar. _This place is a bloody maze. _As he walked around he could hear people questioning how a 16-year-old boy made it into an adult New Year's celebration. But the Earl Carpenter had been coordinately invited by his aunt, which only rose the teen's suspicions further since he was, after all, hated by the woman.

_Something's up, _Sylvester thought, his skin prickling uncomfortably as he took in the scents of _other people. _Even being a cannibal himself, Sylvester hated being in large groups of people, let alone a crowded party with tall, sweaty humans touching him wherever he went. The youngest people there were around twenty years; there wasn't even someone the Earl's age he could chat with. He could only bare with it until he found out what Veronica was playing at. The real party was set to begin at midnight, when New Year's Eve began. Sylvester suspected his aunt would do something then.

Sylvester kept to the edge of the crowds; he hardly recognized anyone, and soon realized that it wasn't just family here. Unfamiliar faces of friends and friends of friends came every which way. Sylvester became claustrophobic and casually walked back to the door, stepping outside and taking in a sharp breath of the cool evening air. To his surprise, he found someone waiting for him.

"Sylvester!" Ciel stopped, panting. "Despite whatever Sebastian told you, I'm perfectly fine." Straightening his posture and relaxing, he added, "I'm glad you're alright."

Sylvester nodded. "I'm glad you are just as well." Sebastian appeared behind Ciel, dipping his head politely.

"I see the Earl is unharmed," Sebastian observed.

Sylvester ignored the butler, looking directly at Ciel and continuing, "I suspect something is going to happen, and it will certainly involve me. Why else would I be the only minor here?" Sylvester glared back at the bar. "Let's wait here until midnight."

As the dimming sky gave way to blackness and the air gradually became cooler, midnight finally arrived as the three waited patiently outside with their focus set on what happened on the other side of the windows. Sylvester had no interest of going back in if he didn't have to, but finally he gave up the watch and peeked back inside. It was just as it was before: Guests having a good time, and without any unusual events.

"This doesn't make any sense," Sylvester hissed angrily to his bodyguard, walking back outside. "The woman hates me and she actually asks me to come to her bar?"

"Perhaps she believes she's misjudged you," Sebastian suggested.

"Yeah, right." Sylvester turned to face the windows where the party continued without interruption. "I've known since day one that bitch hates me."

"Still," Ciel said. "It's best not to bring unnecessary trouble. If nothing happens in the next few minutes, we can just go."

Sylvester turned his head and glared. "Fine, then."

There, as they stood silently outside the bar, nothing unusual appeared to be happening inside. It looked as if light conversation and dancing were taking place.

Sylvester shrugged and sighed, looking back at Ciel. "Whatever. I'm done here if you are."

Ciel nodded. "Let's go."

As they turned to head back, the three were met by peculiar eyes glowing between buildings and behind various places. Shadows darker than the night itself surrounded the figures uniquely.

"Sebastian..." Ciel began nervously as he stared ahead.

"Master." Sebastian placed himself between Ciel and the demons that approached. Sylvester ran to Ciel's side.

"What is this?" the Earl whispered. "Another freak show?"

Sebastian turned his head to peer back at them. "I must ask you both to seek shelter. Return to the mansion, if you can."

Ciel looked up with indignant eyes. "I'm not going to leave you here."

Sebastian smiled reassuringly. "There is nothing to fear, my lord. Now please-"

"Stop this," Ciel demanded. "I order you... stay by my side no matter what!"

Sebastian sighed, facing them fully now. "Yes, my lord." Out of compliance, the butler picked the teens up in both arms. "Here we go." He sped at the bar and kicked himself up off the ground, landing flawlessly on the bar's rooftop. The demons below only gave curious glances, but otherwise paid no mind to them. Instead they set their path directly for the door, clearly intending to disrupt the party.

"What if they turn them all into demons?" Ciel asked.

"There is nothing we can do, my lord," Sebastian told him. "Our only option now is to vacate the premises."

Ciel nodded. "Very well, then."

Sylvester tensed up. "Don't I get a say in this?!"

Ciel looked at his master. "No. Your safety is the main priority. I will not stand for you to be exposed to any danger."

"A bit too late for that now, isn't it?" Sylvester narrowed his eyes.

Ciel watched him, a baffled and surprised look to his eyes. "What are you suggesting? We go down there in a suicide attempt? And for what?"

Sylvester didn't meet his gaze. "Nothing. I just want you to acknowledge my opinion before jumping to a conclusion."

Ciel now gaped at the Earl, stupefied by his naive behavior in the situation. "Is that really the most important thing at the moment?" Ciel challenged hotly, leaving Sebastian's hold and standing, Sylvester following. "_All _of our lives are at stake here, and you're asking me to first seek guidance from you, a spoiled brat?"

Sylvester tensed up. "I want you to know that I can have good ideas, too!"

Ciel rolled his eyes, sneering at him. "Very well, Sylvester. So tell me... how else we should handle this?"

"Running away isn't handling it," Sylvester pointed out.

"And since when have you started caring for other people?" Ciel asked him sensibly. "Honestly, who else do you see as important other than yourself?"

"I willingly saved Timmy from those monsters, didn't I?"

"Did you?"

"Yes, Ciel!"

Ciel turned his head. "Fine. I'm not exactly interested in arguing with you about this particular topic, anyhow." Turning to face Sebastian, he threw back over his shoulder, "If you come up with something that preferably won't get us killed, I'd be more than happy to hear it." When no reply came, Ciel murmured, "It's time to go."

Sebastian collected the teens once more and unfolded midnight-black wings; no demon pursued them as they soared over London under the cover of night.


	14. Chapter 14

"We're getting absolutely nowhere."

Sylvester flung his papers back down on his desk, leaning back in his chair and knotting his fingers through his long, black hair. On the other side of his desk stood Ciel Phantomhive, the Earl's young demonic bodyguard.

"I hope the lack of information is not encouraging you to slack off," Ciel responded to the Earl's words. "Whenever you're ready, we shall leave."

"Leave, Ciel?" Sylvester exclaimed. "And where to? I don't think we'll ever resolve this!"

"Certainly not with that attitude," Ciel replied with a smirk. "But someone had to have owned that compass, and it should not be exceedingly difficult to figure this out. Haven't you thought to ask Winter's parents?"

"They're gone," Sylvester told him. "They weren't at the house, even after the murder. I saw them shortly after her disappearance, but of course I wouldn't dare suspect them at the time. Anyhow, they moved away, and it's assumable that they left their own grounds to escape the tragedy of their daughter." Sylvester's green gaze shifted uneasily. "Though at this point, I'm willing to question every person I meet."

Ciel nodded. "That might be for the best."

Sylvester rose from his desk and stopped himself at the door, glaring back at the room. "It's not presumptuous to believe it was murder, I am wrong? I still believe they should have arranged a funeral."

Ciel looked up, blinking at his master. "If it wasn't murder, what would be my point in being here? I signed the contract as a bodyguard who would protect you as you sought out the _murderer _of your loved one, and after you put an end to them to complete your revenge, I receive your soul."

Sylvester nodded. "Yes. It was a murder, Ciel," the Earl stated, placing emphasis into each word. "I know it was."

_Liar. You're lying... _Ciel watched with disillusion as Sylvester left the room and made his way down the hall, the demon listening on to the brisk footfall. _You only think she's dead._

Although Ciel was prepared to give up on the naive child already, he knew it would still be wise to hear what the victim's parents had to offer about the misguided case. If they could find the couple's whereabouts, they could immediately set the meeting.

_This should have been taken care of in the beginning, _Ciel thought, muttering a curse under his breath as he slowly followed the Earl's trail out of the office. _The parents should have been the first people we interrogated. _As Ciel walked down the halls, he heard a light meow and the cat with mismatched eyes accompanied the demon at a close range by his feet. _Isn't there another demon you should fancy over? _Ciel thought with rising irritation at its consistent meows.

When Ciel reached the main room of the manor, he found Sylvester hanging up the phone. "Who was that?"

The Earl's hair screened his face, concealing his own dim eyes from sight. "It was nothing. Just a friend checking up on me."

"A friend?" Ciel asked. "Might I know who?"

"Not someone you would know, and certainly not someone who could be involved in all this murder business. I'm going to pay them a visit for the time being. While I'm away, I'd appreciate it if you could find out all you can about her parents. I shouldn't be gone long."

"I'm coming with you," Ciel declared. "In case you haven't noticed, there are demons out there who would be more than happy to make you one of their own, and what good would that do for me?"

"That won't happen, Ciel," Sylvester insisted. "I order you to stay here."

Ciel scoffed him. "At least tell me where you're going," he inquired. "I should know, in case something does come up. It's more a case of suicide than ego to leave me in the dark."

Sylvester now met Ciel's stare with dark eyes. "No." The Earl ignored Ciel's curt gasp and opened the door, cheaply adding, "Just _stay here._"

When the door shut, Ciel practically burned with anger. _So there is something I don't know, _Ciel confirmed for himself. _How could I have let myself been fooled after all this time? There could be absolutely nothing at all for me once this wretched game has reached its conclusion. Damn him!_

Ciel spent the next few hours rummaging through all he could of the parents' files. At last he found the recent entry that told of their exact location; he kept it in a safe place for when the Earl returned from whatever it was he was up to. _Why am I so tired... _Ciel decided to lie himself down on the couch, using his hands as a pillow. He observed as Pluto and the yet-to-be-named cat meowed and barked softly at one another, the noises drifting further and further away as blackness edged his vision...

Before long, a sharp pain shot through his body, forcing Ciel to sit upright and embrace his own aching belly with his arms.

"Wh-What's happening..." Ciel protested, groaning painfully as he leaned forward, the agony becoming worse with each waking moment. "S-Sebastian..." But his futile calls weren't of any help. The butler was out running errands, far from the estate and far from Ciel's whispers.

_This is it, _Ciel thought, his head pounding. _I'm going to die here. _The pain was so intense, Ciel felt as if he were leaving his own body, as he was becoming increasingly dizzy and sinking deeper into a weary state. One moment Ciel found his head spinning with pain, and the next he was light-headed and drowsy. The intense physical changes paused for a brief moment; taking the advantage of control, Ciel ran out the front door of the mansion, gasping at what he found in the driveway.

"Grell?"

The red-haired shinigami frowned at the sight of the child. "You're not Bassy."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm not. Listen, Grell, I need your help."

Grell turned his head to the side. "And why should I help a kid like you?"

"Grell, I need you!" Suddenly the pain returned, this time to both his head and stomach, and Ciel held his belly as he groaned painfully. "I only need you to protect me from any infected demons as I search for someone. Surely that shouldn't be a problem. It doesn't look as if you're busy at the moment, anyhow."

"And why can't Sebastian do that for you?"

"I can't have him see me like this," Ciel said slowly, realizing for the first time that it was true. Looking up, he continued, "I know you have nothing to gain, for I have not much to offer. But I only ask you to watch my back."

Grell moaned with annoyance, but eventually gave in with a sigh. "You're right; I don't have much on my schedule besides disposing of those wretched creatures, and if you're asking for me to do that, anyway, then fine... I'll lend you a hand. Besides," he added, resting his death scythe against his shoulder, "I'm feeling rather generous today. ...Aha ha."

* * *

Sylvester turned the rusted knob and opened the door. Darkness greeted the Earl, along with the soft music emitted by a vinyl and the scent of cooked vegetables. From straight ahead the silhouette of a woman came forth, carrying a stack of fine china plates with her. She gave a frightened gasp.

"Are you..." She dropped her plates, the shattering of glinting glass shards interrupting her soft-spoken words. Sylvester took off his head, holding it close to his chest.

"You abandoned me," he whispered. "Not to mention the rest of the family."

The woman clasped her hands together, sinking to her knees. "I had to escape," she sobbed quietly. "It was too much to bear."

"And I only reminded you of your own despair." Sylvester put his hat back on his head. "Don't worry; the feeling's mutual."

The woman stared up at him, tears drenching her pale face. "You know I love you. I only moved on-"

"-And never talked to your family or friends again," he finished. "I know, I see perfectly. After he tried to murder me, you were unable to pull yourself together, instead living in this small house alone and wallowing in your own disgusting filth."

She stared down at her knees. "I got away."

"And you believe that?" Sylvester blinked at her, genuinely confused. "You left me all your money and you're falling into debt here. How are you not reminded everyday of what happened, as you just sit around watching the days go by?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "Honestly, I couldn't hope to understand you. If you want to waste away here, then by all means do so."

"I asked you to come, dear, because I want you to consider living with me."

Sylvester peered at her, his hand freezing on his forehead. "...What?"

"Get away from the estate. Forget everyone and come be at your mother's side again. We could move far from London, considering you would contribute your own money to our cause. We could start over. You could get yourself a stepfather! ...And you wouldn't have to be an only child anymore!"

Sylvester gaped at her for a while longer, before sighing softly and turning his head away completely, closing his eyes so as to not make eye contact with the downhearted woman.

"You're a desperate fool, and now I see why..." - He coughed when his voice broke - "...Why no one desires to be in your presence. So no, I don't wish to abandon who I am to 'run away' with you somewhere. I am meant to stay here... no, I have been cursed to stay here until my dying breath. And then I shall live on wherever he takes me so."

The woman listed her gaze in her own confusion. "Whatever do you...?"

Sylvester faced her again and lifted his thick hair, revealing to his mother the contract mark that fated his own end. "I am caught in the devil's snare," Sylvester told her, his eyes brimming with a deathly gleam. "I am to live on under the watchful eye of the demon... that is, until the day he consumes my soul."

As the woman sat speechless and dumbfounded, Sylvester turned his back on her and took the doorknob. "I'm sorry to leave you like this... Wait, no I'm not. And by the way, try not to get yourself involved unless you wish to meet your very own ghastly end."

"Son, let us talk about this!"

"There is nothing I wish to discuss with you," Sylvester concluded. "Goodbye, Mother."

The teen opened the door to find unfamiliar faces standing at the porch. A man grabbed Sylvester's arm and pulled him forward. "This is him!"

"What's happening?!" Sylvester demanded before a hand was placed over his mouth.

"I'm so sorry," came his mother's voice. "My own son... a criminal!"

"What is this...?" The policeman studied Sylvester's contract mark. "What was all that about a demon 'consuming your soul?'"

"He's crazy." The mother stood up and walked toward them. "He's been through so much, everything has gotten to him and has made him insane. Please help him."

Sylvester gave muffled yells through the gloved hand placed over his lips as a man came over and removed his gun. After that he was handcuffed and taken away; the hand left his mouth.

"Ciel, I order you to rescue me!" he screamed at the sky.

"Oi, calm down!" a guard exclaimed. "I don't know who you're talking to, but you're safe with us, little Earl."

Sylvester ground his teeth as he was led away, kicking at anything that came in his path and snapping at anyone who came too close. His bodyguard was nowhere in sight.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey, are you alright?"

Grell looked on as Ciel staggered forward, his eyes half-closed and glazed over. "Yes, I'm just a bit tired."

"It doesn't look like that's all," Grell inquired. "You sure you're up to this, kid?"

"Yes!" Ciel whipped around. "I'm just fine, see?"

Grell glared at him before shrugging. "If you say so, I suppose."

As they continued on, the grim reaper became increasingly annoyed with the slow pace. "...Do you even know where you're going?"

Ciel stopped abruptly. _Damn... where are we going? _His demonic instincts were becoming interfered with, but Ciel wasn't sure as to how that was happening. Suddenly Ciel sensed the distress of his master, and picked up on a newly placed order to come to the Earl's rescue.

"Now what's wrong?" Grell asked as the Phantomhive stood silently in place.

"I must find him," Ciel murmured.

Grell looked curiously at him. "Has your master bitten off more than he can chew?"

Ciel looked back at him. "You could say that."

Eventually - as Ciel was capable of holding on to his instincts for a while longer - they reached the home of the mother of Earl Carpenter. Ciel knocked on the door and, when it opened, a red-faced woman with teary eyes blinked down at him. "Who might you two be?"

"I am Ciel Phantomhive, and this is Grell. Can you tell me where your son might be?"

There was a sharp gasp from the lady. "You're him... You're real."

Ciel blinked at her. "Yes."

She began to sob. "I had to send him away, though! He lost sight of himself, my poor son."

"On the contrary," Ciel told her, "Sylvester is fully aware of what he's doing. You have served only as an interruption, milady."

"Inter...?" Her voice trailed off her tongue.

"Please tell me where he's been taken," Ciel said.

"He's being rehabilitated." She went on as Ciel opened his mouth, "Please don't go after him. It's for his own good and protection. I don't want him to live a cursed life."

"Cursed, eh?" Ciel chuckled, which gradually rose to mocking laughter. "I don't think you fully understand what's going on with your son. He is behaving this way so as not to lose himself along the way. But now he will surely fall if I don't find him in time." He turned from the door. "Come, Grell. I have an idea on where he's being held."

Ignoring the woman's protests, the demon and grim reaper left the porch and continued on their way. Ciel lifted his head up once they were out of sight (and earshot) of the house.

"Whether Sylvester is mentally breaking down or not, it will do him no good locked away," Ciel murmured. "I must get him out of there immediately, and by any means necessary."

"You really want that soul, don't you?" Grell sighed. "How stubborn you are."

"I haven't come this far to watch it end here," Ciel pointed out. "When the time comes, I shall eat the kid's soul. But I would like for it to be worthy of my taste." Ciel's eyes glowed demonically as he glanced up at the shinigami. "It's only fair if I'm properly rewarded after all of this is over, wouldn't you agree?"

Grell moaned disdainfully at Ciel. "I guess. I just hope Sebastian shows up soon. I've been absolutely _dying_ to see him."

_Sebastian... _Ciel thought. If the elder demon saw Ciel in his condition, there was no telling how he'd react. As if response to his troublesome thoughts, Ciel had another physical attack inside his demonic body. This time he staggered forward; Grell leaned in to support Ciel before he fell face-first on the cement.

"Hey...!" Grell said, supporting Ciel with his own body. Ciel reached for his own shirt and lifted it up a few inches; red blemishes and marks made their way across every square-inch of Ciel's young skin.

"W-Wait!" Grell exclaimed, as Ciel pushed the grim reaper away. "You're..."

"Yes, I know." Ciel grabbed his belly with a hand, struggling against the overwhelming pain it brought. "There were enough signs, it would be foolish if I hadn't noticed."

"But you're... I have to kill you."

Ciel looked up. "No, Grell. I haven't lost myself yet. I am yet to rescue Sylvester and eat his soul. Until that happens, I will not lose sight of my next move." Ciel stood straight, narrowing his eyes as he met the grim reaper's green stare. "I am still alive; I can do this much. But will you still be there?"

Grell sighed. "Fine, though I'll be probably be demoted again if anyone finds out."

Ciel nodded. "Thank you, Grell." The young demon looked ahead to where they were going. "We need to hurry."

* * *

"I am not insane, you bastards!"

Sylvester struggled against the restraints that held him against the bed he was lying on. He had first been dressed into a light, pale robe, and then placed on this bed with strangers looking over him.

"Let me go now or my _demon _will come and _chop you to bits._"

"Please calm down, boy," said a man with a vaccine in his grasp. "Your mother sent you here. Please just relax..."

Sylvester shrieked at the man as he injected the medicine into his arm, allowing the liquid to enter the Earl's bloodstream. In no time Sylvester became tired, but he refused to let himself fall asleep under the eyes of these men he so hated. For a few minutes he just stared at them tensely, making careful sure to keep his eyes open no matter what happened next.

"See this?" Sylvester whipped his hair to the side, revealing the contract mark. "My soul belongs to a demon, and he'll come to claim me sooner or later."

"That's a tattoo, kid," said one of the men standing at his bedside. "You'll see soon enough there's no 'demon' out to get ya."

"You'll see," Sylvester declared. With nothing else to say and the medication taking its tole, the teen drifted off.

* * *

The dark of evening crept near as the grim reaper and demon as they continued further down the streets of London. Ciel stumbled every few paces, drawing raspy breaths and straining to focus his eyes forward. Grell, unsure what to do, followed the child up until they finally reached where they were heading. A vast, dark building loomed ahead, the dark clouds behind it bringing out its own secluded purpose.

"This is it, Grell. I'll be needing your help here also," Ciel said.

"What?!" The cross-dresser folded his arms indignantly. "You only said I had to watch over you."

Ciel glanced behind him. "That I did, and that is all I need in here. In my condition, I could use your death scythe."

Grell winced, thinking for a moment, but he gave in once again. "But I'd better get something out of this once it's all over!" he added as they approached the private grounds. They sank behind a tree as guards secured the surrounding area. Barbed fences met up to a huge gate, which was sealed shut.

"We can easily get through them," Grell told the demon, wrapping his arms firmly around Ciel. "Just leave it to me!"

The grim reaper elegantly leaped from tree-to-tree, making his way inside the grounds and through the doors without a winked eye. Keeping a hand latched to Ciel's wrist, the reaper crossed halls and dodged the eyes of guards with miraculous stealth. At last they reached the Earl's room.

"I can take care of this." Grell kicked open the door and rose his death scythe up with a crazed laugh, but what they both found were not humans, but another shinigami. She held an unconscious child in her arms.

"Nolan Sykes," Grell said, not lowering his scythe. "Whatever brings you here?"

"I should ask the same of you," she replied. "And why are you not killing that infected demon?"

Ciel stepped forward. "Just let Sylvester go!"

"'Let him go?'" she repeated him, glancing out the opened window she stood next to. "I'm not quite sure he would survive that fall."

Ciel groaned impatiently. "Give him back!" He ran toward the female reaper, but was stopped by a hand grabbing his arm. Grell pulled Ciel back. "Let me go, Grell!"

"Did you want her to kill you?" Grell asked. "Besides, there's not much we can do for him now. Why don't you just let the brat go?"

Ciel turned on him, his eyes glowing with his fury. "His soul is mine."

"Grell," Nolan said. "Why don't you do as we've been instructed and actually kill the demon? Why on earth would you take sides with him now?"

"Sebastian would be angry if I let him die now," Grell said. "My sweet Bassy - it will all be worth it if it meant seeing that devilish face again!"

"Enough." Ciel stared at him. "Grell, get Sylvester."

Nolan smirked at them. Whipping around, she exited through the window, falling down the side of the building. Grell went after her, death scythe at the ready, and he too disappeared from Ciel's sight. Before the young demon could go in pursuit, he was forced to his knees by another immense pain, though this time it took over his entire body. The agony forced him into a state of suffering until he felt faint.

"I will not..." Ciel breathed, "...end here. I will not lose my memories. I will not forget who I am... I am Ciel Phantomhive."

"Master."

Ciel gasped at the familiar voice. Sebastian walked through the door of the room, studying his young master with worry etched on his face.

"Don't touch me, Sebastian! You'll get infected, too."

"Sir..." Sebastian bowed his head with a sigh. "I'm not sure how this happened, but I cannot simply leave you here."

"No, stop!" Ciel demanded as his butler came closer. "You can't get near me!"

Sebastian stopped again, but this time he bowed to Ciel. "I'm deeply sorry for my lateness, my lord; I ran into some trouble on my way here," Sebastian explained. Bowing, he added, "My sincerest apologies. I have failed as the Phantomhive butler."

"No, it wasn't your fault..." Ciel couldn't bring himself to look at his butler. Sebastian stood back up.

"The plague itself is already in the air," Sebastian told him. "It should be no trouble to simply carry you out."

"I got infected after that demon picked me up," Ciel said. "You will get infected at the very touch of me."

Sebastian tilted his head in bewilderment. "What will you have me do, my lord? Wrap you in sheets?"

Ciel turned his head away. "Very well."

"What wasn't quite what I meant."

"Still - do it."

Sebastian sighed. "As you wish." He gathered clean sheets from a shelf and wrapped them around Ciel's entire body, leaving only his head exposed. He then proceeded to pick Ciel up in his arms, allowing the younger demon's head to rest against his torso.

"You look like a frail little caterpillar," Sebastian teased.

"Shut up! Just get on with it."

"Of course, my lord." Sebastian ran to the window and jumped out, landing squarely on the ground and heading directly to where Nolan was taking Sylvester, with Grell not too far behind. At last they caught sight of Grell, and Sebastian immediately confronted him.

"Oh, Bassy!" Grell exclaimed. "I thought I'd never-"

"Where did they go?" Sebastian interrupted.

"I lost track of them back there," Grell admitted. Suddenly he noticed the sheets draped over Ciel. "...Did you really think _that_ would keep you from becoming infected?"

Ignoring the ridicule, Sebastian set his master down who was, for a short while, strong enough to stand on his own.

"I guess you'll just have to let it go," Grell continued with a shrug, turning his back on them. "They're long gone now."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. Eventually he met his butler's own gaze. "I am not giving up. So long as I'm alive, I will not forget what I'm here for. And so I order you, Sebastian... get Sylvester back, no matter the cost!"

Sebastian knelt down before his cloaked master. "Yes, my lord."


	16. Chapter 16

Sylvester opened his eyes and found himself sitting against a wall. Taking in his surroundings, he found himself inside a restaurant, and he immediately recognized who stood before him.

"How did I end up here?" he demanded, standing up in an instant. The reaper forced the weak Earl back down with a hand to his shoulder; Sylvester was yet to recover from being drugged.

"I've become rather interested in your case," Nolan admitted, adjusting her spectacles as she looked over his small figure. "I wonder how long it will take for your demon friend to find you here."

"Just leave Ciel alone," Sylvester said. "He's only following our contract."

"Is he?" Nolan chuckled as she knelt down and lifted his chin with her slim fingers. "He's not exactly in the best condition to be going after you right now."

Sylvester narrowed his eyes to slits. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"He's a tad _sick _at the moment. I honestly don't think you'll ever see him the same way again." She tilted her head to the side. "And even if Grell Sutcliff or that demon butler do come to your rescue, I doubt little Ciel will ever remember that arrogant face of yours again."

_He's infected? _Sylvester's eyes widened with his shock.

"You're lying," he eventually muttered. "Sebastian would never let that happen to him."

"How protective over that brat do you think he is now that he has nothing to gain in return?" Nolan questioned. "Wouldn't you think he'd be rather pleased with the disposal of an ultimate curse that has been barred over his shoulders for all those years?"

"No... Ciel won't leave me now," Sylvester objected. "If he has a soul to get out of all this, he'll get it one way or another. Nothing will stop him... not even some supernatural brain parasite."

"You must have a lot of faith in that little boy," Nolan murmured. She let go of the teen's chin and stood back up. "What a child you are."

The reaper's foot met the Earl's face, and Sylvester was knocked down by the force of the blow. He peered at her as she bent down again, stroking his hair into curls with her fingers.

"Beg," she whispered. "Beg for your life, though you were fated to die since birth."

"You know nothing about me," Sylvester spat. "And why don't you just mind your own damned business and leave us alone?"

"I'm only doing as instructed, by killing the little infected brat and being generous enough to keep you out of harm's way."

"Yeah, right... What do you really want with me?"

Nolan rose to her feet and paced around the restaurant as she spoke. "I have something you may actually be grateful to hear." She stopped a few feet away from him. "If you're interested."

"Quit toying with me and say whatever's on your damn mind," Sylvester muttered. _May as well pass the time._

"I'd be happy to." She walked up to a counter, where stacks of papers were lied out. She took one and held it from her yellow-green eyes. "Winter Blackwell; date of birth: August 24th, 1930; aged 18 when abducted from her home on September 12th, 1947; presumably dead." Nolan looked down at Sylvester. "Today is January 28th of 1948. You have been wasting away nearly six months of your life investigating the kidnapping of this girl. Am I correct?"

"...Yes."

She looked back at the papers. "If I'm understanding this correctly, there was no verified death. Only the blood of the girl and an abandoned compass. No body found, nor organs. Only signs of a struggle and the abduction, itself."

"I know she died," Sylvester claimed. "No one would keep a captive held for so long. She was either killed right away or perhaps raped and murdered. Either way, it's pretty safe to say she's no longer with us."

"Really..." Nolan took out a strange book that Sylvester couldn't recognize. She opened it to a specific page. "Here in _her book_ it represents her as being completely _alive_."

Sylvester could only look on, dumbfounded. "That's impossible."

Nolan smirked down on him. "You knew nothing about this case to begin with, just admit it. Are you even sure it wasn't all just an illusion? Why do you think no one bothered looking into this except for you, little Carpenter?"

_Is this true? _Sylvester visibly shook his head in denial. _Why would anyone fake a kidnapping?_

"I see you're finally coming to your senses, little Earl. And what will happen once your partner finds out?" Sylvester stared up at her curious (and mocking) expression. "Then you'll have a demon on your trail as well. It seems almost as if nothing ever happens in your favor."

"You're serious, aren't you?" Sylvester muttered, staring at the hardwood ground of the closed restaurant. "I've been wasting my own time with nothing to gain, and nothing for Ciel, either."

"Do you actually care for that demon?" Nolan asked. "Those beasts have no feelings. He doesn't care for you in the slightest; he only puts up with you for what he gets in return."

"I think of him sometimes... He's like the younger sibling I never had."

Nolan scowled. "How exaggerated you make this appear... but your efforts at making your situation seem a bit more elementary are futile. Just accept that you're fated to live a cruel life with the absence of others."

"So you think I'm trying to make this easier for myself, to avoid emotional scars?" Sylvester sat upright now, his hat falling from his head as he did so. "I wouldn't bother. I know Ciel loves no one, and I can relate in that way. I have no instinct to protect myself. If I stray from my path and into a world of despair, I could easily keep going until I ultimately lose myself."

"Fool," Nolan spat. "Every human will search for an escape from the hell they raise, no matter the person."

"Then I'm an exception; I have no fear of death. I would be happy to enter through the gates of Hell, or better yet, to disappear altogether." He stared up defiantly now. "That does not make me inhuman. My opinions are what makes me human, not emotions."

"Clever kid," Nolan muttered. "Still, I'm not going to let you go through with this. I refuse to play along and spare an infected demon its life. ...You're not going anywhere so long as I am present."

"It doesn't matter what you do to me. One of them will find me eventually."

"But what good will you be dead?"

Nolan took Sylvester by the throat, lifting him off the ground to her height. She carried him in this way to a metallic door; she used her free hand to adjust a thermostat and opened the door, forcing the Earl inside.

"Have a most pleasant time in Hell, Sylvester Carpenter."

Before Sylvester could respond, the door slammed shut and he was greeted with a new eerie silence. He went for the door; the knob refused to budge. Turning to take in the barrings, he realized he was trapped inside the restaurant's cooler. A deadly cold chilled the young teen down to his bone. "You bastard!" he yelled, and noticed a puff of cloud leave his mouth as he spoke. Becoming desperate for something, Sylvester wandered around the room with urgent speed, determined to find something before he became too cold even to stand. He took notice of a tall cart in the corner of the cramped room, and approached it with searching eyes.

Just above the very top shelf was an air vent. _I could fit in there. _He started climbing at once, placing a strong hold on the shelf above his head and heaving himself up. But he'd overestimated the cart's strength; first there was a drawn out creaking, and soon Sylvester found himself falling backwards along with the cart, then smothered against the ground. Not far above Sylvester's head there was a sharp breaking of a plastic container. Unable to move under the crushing weight of the cart, he flinched vainly as he and his clothes were drenched with ice water.

After recovering from the shock of the accident, Sylvester managed to remove himself from the cart. He found himself unable to stand, having broken his legs from the impact and becoming colder much faster after being thoroughly soaked. _This isn't helping at all. _Sylvester couldn't get back up, let alone stand the cart back up and escape through the air vent as he'd hoped. He could only kneel there, heaving exhausted breaths and watching his fingers puff up with a bluish tinge. Though he claimed having no fear of death, as he knelt dying on the spot he felt regret.

But what he regretted most of all, more than not knowing the fate of his own beloved, was that he wouldn't know what would happen once he was gone, and feared for the outcome of the demon he favored that hated him in return.


	17. Chapter 17

Ciel stayed behind at the estate while his butler went with Grell in search of the young Earl Carpenter. The demon refused to rest, although Sebastian had instructed him to stay in bed while they were away. Instead, Ciel paced around the ballroom under the curious watching eyes of the young puppy, Pluto, and the stray cat they housed.

"Damn this," Ciel muttered, as a new spasm of pain coursed through his aching body. "What point is there in saving his ass."

The more time that passed, the more irritable he became. But there was no escaping the anxious thoughts; Ciel found himself at his most vulnerable, completely defenseless and left in hiding. More than humiliated, he was disgusted at being so worried for Sylvester's sake. _I know there is something I don't know that he does. I should let him go entirely._

But that was not an option; Ciel could not risk breaking the contract based on his own theories. _...I'm overreacting, aren't I? I should just wait for them to return... then we can decide what shall be done._

His pacing stopped abruptly at the eager meow of the charcoal cat.

"And what do you want?" Ciel mumbled.

The cat meowed once again, jumping from its perch on the windowsill and running into the other room. _That was odd. _Ciel followed its trail into the living room and to the door; just then the doorbell went off. Peeking through the window, Ciel saw the dark silhouettes of two people under the moonlight. He then proceeded to open the door.

Ciel's eyes opened with shock. "You're...!"

A man and woman stood before him. The man took off his hat. "I am Sven Blackwell and this here is Willow Blackwell. We are Winter's parents. May we come in?"

Ciel blinked. "Yes." He took a step back as the couple walked into the house and sat themselves down. Ciel sat across from them, his eyes directly trained of them both.

"Where is the Earl Sylvester Carpenter?" Sven asked.

"He's out on business for a few days," Ciel replied shortly. "And might I ask why you're here?"

"We have come to relieve the boy of his worries," Sven reported. "We've heard tell of his investigations on Winter's case. There is no need for him to continue investigating. ...Would it be any trouble for you to pass on our message for him?"

Ciel shook his head. "Not at all."

"As you know," Willow put in, "Our daughter was kidnapped one night after an awful struggle that led to her own bloodshed."

"We're not sure if you or Sylvester are aware," Sven said, "But her body has been recently found in the sewers, violently stabbed all along her body. It was a truly gruesome thing to see."

"And what of the kidnapper?" Ciel asked.

"The police managed to track him back to his house..." Willow said. "...He was found dead after committing suicide."

Ciel sat in a state of alarm. _If he's dead... Sylvester cannot complete his revenge. _Sylvester's goal was to identify the owner of the compass, therefore finding the kidnapper and ultimately killing him. With the culprit deceased, there was no possible way to complete his goal. Ciel instinctively removed his glove and looked over the contract seal. It still remained. _This is impossible. _After placing his glove back over his hand, Ciel stared back up at Willow and Sven.

"What is it?" Willow asked.

"Yes, is something wrong?" Sven inquired after his wife.

"No, it was nothing. My hand - it started hurting." Ciel narrowed his eyes. "More to the point, neither my master nor I have heard of this recent finding. Quite, it would seem absolutely none of the city police took notice of this."

"Scotland Yard tend to keep these disturbing cases on the down low," Sven chuckled. "Perhaps the Earl is not keeping to his part in this research?"

Ciel was taken aback by Sven's light tone. "On the contrary," Ciel retorted, "Sylvester has looked into this with unyielding vigilance and an open mind. Nothing slips by him, for he refuses to look the other way."

Sven sighed. "Whether or not that is true, everything has been cleared up, so he mustn't worry himself any longer. That is why we came here today. We wish you two the best."

"Hold on," Ciel said hastily as they both rose from their seats. "How can you know it was the kidnapper they found?"

"Winter's blood was all over him," Willow told him. "There is no denying he was the perpetrator."

"But how did this make sense?" Ciel inquired. "What was the reason for her kidnapping? What did he want? Why would a man come out of nowhere, murder someone and then end their own life? There is something missing..."

"Look, kid," Sven said. "I'm sorry - I don't know your name."

"Ciel," said the demon curtly.

"Ciel, darling," Willow continued for her husband, with a vexatiously kind tone of voice. "The man was found hung in his living room. Though it's true there's no known reason as to why he would do any of this, this tragic case has been solved nonetheless."

"And you're willing to just let it go?" Ciel exclaimed. "The murder of your daughter... and you're taking it so lightly?"

"There is nothing more we can do," Sven said. "It's done now. We must move on... we must forget the pain."

"There is no moving on without the pain." Ciel's lowered his own gaze; his eyes became dim.

"Even so," Sven continued, brushing Ciel off, "It's no use living in the past. We know what happened, and there's not more we can do."

Suddenly Ciel felt a rush of realization. _It's all coming together!_

"You're lying," Ciel claimed. "I know that you are..."

"Excuse me?" Sven said. "And where's your proof?"

"Proof?" Ciel seethed. "It's only all clear now. The city police and Scotland Yard didn't get themselves involved because they didn't _know _anything about this. None of the friends and relatives of the Blackwells knew anything about this because _nothing happened." _Ciel confronted with defiance now. "But you know what's happened to your daughter, am I wrong?"

The look of pure astonishment on their faces confirmed Ciel's suspicions. _There is something entirely different going on here. And only these two know what it is._

"Do you know how obscene it is to accuse her parents of such a heinous crime!" Willow objected. "Who's to say that _you _had nothing to do with all this?"

"How daft are you lot? And did you not just claim this all as being resolved?"

"We don't have for these outrageous accusations," Sven said, going to the door. "We're leaving. Good day."

Ciel immediately went to block their way; the couple appeared startled by his sudden motion.

"Are you planning to keep us hostage, boy?" Sven challenged. "We'll turn you in at once, mark my words!"

"I don't think you're going anywhere," Ciel said with a smirk. "You may as well make yourselves comfortable; You'll be here for quite a while yet."

"I can assure you we do not plan on staying for a moment longer!" Sven reached his hand out for Ciel's shoulder; Ciel slapped it aside.

"I don't think you want to do that," Ciel said slyly.

"I would say the same to you, boy." Sven went for him again, but this time Ciel found himself struck by another spasm of pain. Unable to counter Sven's attack, Ciel was forced against the wall. Ciel winced from the pain of the convulsion rather than the force Sven's hand.

"Don't hurt him, now," Willow said. "We don't want any trouble."

"Hell you don't," Ciel snapped, held against the wall by both of Sven's hands against his shoulders. "You two are the ones responsible for all of this, aren't you?"

"We most certainly are not," Sven retorted, relaxing his grip slightly. "We just don't enjoy bringing this up. The death of our daughter is simply too much to bare. We don't want to endure the pain of looking further into this."

Ciel's eyes flew open. _Could their true fault be their ignorance? Are they innocent after all...?_

Sven let go of Ciel altogether, backing away from the demon child. "We're sorry for all the trouble we've caused you. I see now this was just a huge misunderstanding. Please forgive our actions and cruel attitude toward this dreadful situation."

"I-It's alright," Ciel replied, caught in a daze.

"We're more heartbroken than anyone, being her parents," Willow said with closed eyes and folded hands.

"We shall be going now," Sven said. "You will pass on our message to the Earl, won't you?"

Ciel nodded. "Yes, of course."

They both smiled in return. "Thank you so much," Willow said. Ciel looked on in puzzlement as they walked out the door and to their own car. Ciel stood just outside the door as he watched the car pull out of the driveway and into the newly aroused blizzard. Silver snowflakes fluttered from the shadowed and cloudy sky, adding to the fog and darkness and making it that much harder to see.

_Wait... _Ciel thought suddenly, _No, that was it! _The parents were the only ones who'd known anything about it. Sylvester had confronted the police about the exact abduction and they had known nothing. This had been before he'd been discovered as a criminal selling human organs off on the black market - there was no reason for the Earl to be put off before that discovery. It had all led up to this moment, in which the parents of the victim were the last ones who remained on the suspect list, the only ones who knew something about the kidnapping. And Ciel was watching them as they drove _out of his sight._

"Stop!" he yelled, running from the porch and down the driveway, straight into the blizzard. "You must stop!"

The car had already gone and disappeared into the black of night. Sensing another upcoming spasm, Ciel finally gave up once he'd reached the end of the driveway; he looked on with fury as Sylvester's last chance at information drove away so blatantly before Ciel's eyes. For a few more moments Ciel allowed the bitter cold and agonizing spasms take over as he stood silently looking on.


	18. Chapter 18

Sylvester sat leaning against the wall, weakly bending his head over and gazing at the cold ground with half-closed eyes. The water drenched in his clothing easily contributed to quickening the hypothermia that was settling in and taking its toll on his body. He found himself experiencing delusions and the pleasure of calm and sleepiness. Though he did struggle to keep awake, he found himself slipping in and out of consciousness. Falling asleep now would assure death, but eventually he wouldn't be able to resist the temptations. As he sat there silently, he began recalling his own past memories, childhood memories that came back so vividly he found himself intrigued. Sylvester couldn't pass up the promise of tranquility that memoirs offered him.

* * *

"Evelyn, don't fall off...!"

8-year-old Sylvester stood at the far end of the unfamiliar bridge. His young friend leaned over the railing, laughing impertinently as Sylvester spoke to her. Piers, an 11-year-old with dark brown locks and blue eyes, took no mind to the danger. Instead the boy simply stood watching along with the other two children in the group.

"Isn't there something better to do than this?" Sylvester exclaimed to them as the young Evelyn fled back to her friends. "There's so much in London we haven't seen yet!"

"What I say goes." Piers snapped. "I'm oldest here. Then there's Winter and Ray, who're 10, then you, 8, then Evelyn and Raven are 7. We all agreed I'd be best as captain here."

"Captain?" Evelyn said. "Are we on a pirate ship?"

"I wanna be the captain!" Ray objected.

"Enough." Piers sighed as he looked over the jaunty kids all huddled together. "Maybe Sylvester here's right... this wasn't the best spot to play." He glanced over his shoulder. "What do you think? Should we stay?"

Winter pulled the hair from her eyes as Piers looked her way; it was too dark for Sylvester to make her out clearly. "It's getting late. I think we should all just get back to our houses."

"That's not the right attitude." Piers turned his back on her, staring ahead at the traffic of night. "Either we stay and go somewhere else; None of us are leaving."

"Why not?" Sylvester glared his way. "Not to mention it's getting too dark to do anything at all."

"That's not it, is it?" Piers now confronted the young Carpenter, staring down at him with a mocking sneer. "What are you afraid of?"

"I don't know..." Sylvester narrowed his eyes up at the silhouette. "Getting run over since we can't see a damned thing?"

"You shouldn't curse..." Evelyn whispered.

"Yeah, she's right." Piers shoved Sylvester back a step. "It's very _unbecoming._"

"What would you know about that?" Sylvester straightened his posture. "What would a commoner know about anything?"

"You're treading on some dangerous ground now, Carpenter," Piers hissed.

"Stop fighting," Winter broke in, coming in between the two boys. "Let's all agree that this was a stupid idea and just go home."

"What did you say?" Piers turned on her. "...I don't have stupid ideas."

"You did this time," Winter returned. "So stop this now."

"Say that again." Piers twirled her hair with his fingers. "I didn't quite hear you."

"Just lay off," Sylvester said. "She's not the one doing anything."

"Oh, and I am?" Piers locked his grip in Winter's hair and forced her along with him as he took a few steps forward. "Come on now, does it really look like _I'm doing anything at all?"_

"What're you doing, Piers?" Ray asked, echoing all of their thoughts.

"Can you swim...?"

Sylvester's eyes widened with his horror. Piers lifted Winter's chin with his finger; she met his gaze fearlessly.

"What's your problem?" she whispered. "I know you won't do it."

"I beg to differ."

Sylvester ran toward them both. "Piers, you idiot! Get back here!"

"Just let her go!" Evelyn cried.

Sylvester came up to Pier's face. "We're all just tired, you're not doing anything to help, and our parents must be worried sick by now. So let's just forget this ever happened."

Sylvester looked on desperately in hope that Piers would come to his senses. If it became necessary, he would fight his friend in order to rescue Winter. Fortunately Piers gradually began to relax, eventually releasing Winter's hair altogether.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Piers muttered. "I get this way sometimes. It's 'cause of my brothers. They get to be a real pain in the ass."

Sylvester frowned for his sake. "Sorry to hear that, but please try not to take it out on other people, especially your friends." He glanced over at Winter. "We're _all _friends here, no matter what happens. Even if we disagree-"

"Yeah, okay, I get it." Piers walked back to where Evelyn, Raven and Ray were standing with horrified eyes. "It's cool, guys. It's okay."

"Please don't do that again," Raven whimpered. "You scared us."

"Think before you act next time," Winter muttered, fixing her hair as she glared at the oldest of the group. "I thought you were gonna toss me over."

"I was just pissed off, alright?" Piers retorted.

"Still, that's no way to treat a lady," Sylvester pointed out, gazing at Winter with soft green eyes.

Piers stood watching them for a moment. "You guys have a think for each other, don't you?"

Sylvester's head shot up, but Winter merely scoffed him. "No way. ...He's only 8."

"So?"

"Lay off, will you?"

"I've had enough of this," Sylvester declared, walking away from them entirely. "I'm going home. See you guys tomorrow, probably."

"But we were gonna play games," Evelyn protested. "Please don't go."

"Yeah," Ray backed up his friend. "We have-ta spend as much time together as we can. Me, Winter and Piers are going into middle school once school starts back up. We won't see each other as much anymore."

"What're we gonna do tonight, then?" Sylvester asked. "It's like... 2:00 AM already. I'm surprised our parents haven't sent search parties."

"We all know our parents don't give two shits about us," Piers bluntly stated.

"Oh, you know that's not true," Winter said. "So save it."

"I'm outta here," Sylvester said. "Goodnight, guys."

As he strolled in the opposite direction of the bridge and his five friends, Sylvester wondered whether it was wise to leave the others with Piers. The arrogant child had already proven himself dangerous, and in no way should be held responsible for anyone. _I don't care what happens tonight, _Sylvester thought to himself. _Though __Piers needs to learn how to take care of himself before others, I don't hold any real responsibility for them like their parents. If they want to wander the streets this late at night, let them. I have no desire to get myself involved.__  
_

* * *

"Please remember we'll always let you be privately tutored, Sylvester."

"I know, Mother, but I like my friends, so I want to continue attending public school this year. Please?"

Sylvester's mother smiled at him. "If it's what you want, then I won't argue with you about this any further."

Smiling, Sylvester ran for the door. As he turned the knob, he looked back with a cheerful smile. "Can I go and see my friends now?"

"You may," his mother replied. When the door shut behind him, the woman turned to look to the father. "His 11th birthday is tomorrow. He wishes for a small party with just his friends."

"_Just _his friends?" the man questioned. "Not the relatives?"

"Not this time," she confirmed. "But it's no problem, of course. Though Caroline does wish to attend."

"His betrothed? Does he even want her there?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Does he despise his own fiancée?"

"I sure hope not." The woman sighed. "But he must learn that this is the way things ought to be."

Meanwhile, Sylvester found himself at the park with his friends once again. He had taken an interest to fishing; Sylvester sat beside Winter on a deck over the lake, reeling in his fishing pole for the third time.

"Maybe you actually have something this time," Winter teased.

Grinning, Sylvester reached out and grasped a small bass. Glancing to his side, he caught Winter's approving smile. "Impressive."

"Thanks." He unhooked the fish and tossed it back. "...But I'm a vegan."

Winter chuckled. "Then why are you fishing...?"

"'Cause it's fun." Sylvester laughed as he met her gaze. "I'll stop some day or another. I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm not known for my clearness."

"I can see that."

Winter watched him attentively for the next half hour. As they did this, Piers and Ray talked under the shade of a tree, whilst Evelyn and Raven sat on the edge of a fountain petting Evelyn's dog. When Sylvester finally had his fill of his ironic hobby, he set his fishing rod in the grass and approached his friends. Piers immediately came up to greet him.

"We're all gonna play British Bulldog. You coming? We need five players."

"I'll come, too." Winter walked up from behind Sylvester. "I like these kind of games."

Piers narrowed his eyes at the sight of her. "Okay, that's cool. C'mon, then."

"Get it together, Piers," Sylvester muttered in his friend's ear. "You're nearing 14 now. Don't act like you're jealous of her."

"And just what could I be jealous of?" Piers retorted indignantly.

"...The attention she gives me. Look, we're as close as friends can be. I promise, nothing and no one will come between our friendship. Got that?"

Piers opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. "Alright, man. I'm sorry."

At last the six children began their game. Piers stood before the others with steady eyes. "Sylvester's new to this game, so I'll fill him in on this." He turned his head to look at his younger friend. "You line up in front of the Bulldog - me - just like that. You then try an' run past me without getting caught. If the Bulldog catches you long enough to say 'British Bulldog, one, two, three' then you're the new Bulldog. You guys all stop at where the woods begin. Understood?"

"Loud and clear," Sylvester replied.

"Then let's start already."

Sylvester braced himself to sprint to the far side. At last began their run; Evelyn, being the closest to Piers, was in easy reach of the Bulldog. To everyone's surprise, he passed her up and made it clear that he aimed for someone else in particular. Darting ahead, he caught Winter's arm and yelled out the traditional words. He managed to keep his hold and complete the phrase entirely.

"That wasn't fair!" Raven called out. "You only wanted to get her."

"How do you know that?" Piers turned on the child. "Maybe I wanted to show off my exceptional skills at this game."

Deciding to leave it as it was, everyone paused the game to eat. They sat themselves in a circle in the grass near the fountain, rummaging through a picnic basket with finger sandwiches, small cakes and crescent rolls. The sky was still a light blue, with the summer sun glowing with soft warmth on the park and the children within it.

"So, Carpenter," Ray began. "I hear it's your birthday soon. How 'bout that?"

"You're gonna be... 7, right?" Piers teased.

"You're hilarious," Sylvester returned sarcastically. "I'm going to be 11. You're all coming to the party, correct?"

His friends all gave confirming nods. "Wouldn't miss it," Piers put in.

"Unfortunately, I believe my betrothed will be there as well," Sylvester mumbled. "Her name's Caroline, and let's just say she's not pleasant to be around."

"She the jittery type?" Piers asked.

"Worse - she's controlling."

Piers winced. "That's tough."

"Not to mention my parents aren't too thrilled I'm still hanging out with you guys. Not that there's anything wrong with any of you," he added quickly. "It's just... how they are, and I guess I can't really help it."

"As long as we can come," Winter said. "It'll be fine. And we won't let Caroline spoil the fun. It it comes to it, we can outright ditch her."

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "No one comes between us. We're all like a family, and family's gotta stick together. Am I right?"

They all nodded in unison.

"All of us are having our own family issues," Evelyn said. "Meeting with each other each day is our way of coping... it's our therapy. No one has to understand it in order for it to help us."

Winter nodded to that. "Exactly. And nothing will stand in our way... not even a fussy fiancée."

Piers smiled. "If you're right about one thing, it's that." He looked to Sylvester now. "Let's make this your best birthday yet."

The next day, Sylvester woke up to irritatingly loud laughter from downstairs. After having the family butler prepare him, Sylvester drowsily walked down the steps and recognized the familiar faces of his posse. They immediately went outside in the yard, keeping closely huddled together the entire time around.

"Let's play a game!" Raven squealed. "What do you wanna play, Sylvester?"

"I don't really mind," he said casually.

"Well, we've gotta make sure this is the best birthday you've ever had!" Piers reminded him. "So let's make this worthy of being called a 'party!'"

Sylvester sighed. "Okay. But where do we start?"

"First, we have to fill this place with beautiful decorations!" Raven said. "It needs lovely roses and ribbons!"

"I don't think Sylvester wants any of that, Raven," Evelyn told her. "But I do have an idea: Why don't your parents host a treasure hunt?"

"What a bore."

The children all whipped around to see a girl with short brown hair and hazel eyes. Everyone correctly assumed it was Sylvester's betrothed, Caroline.

"No one asked you," Ray muttered as the girl came to stand beside Sylvester.

"Why don't we all head to the ballroom?" Caroline suggested. "Sylvester, you and I could dance!"

"I'm not quite in that mood at the moment, Milady," Sylvester replied. "Perhaps later on, but for now I like Raven's idea. A treasure hunt it is!"

Sylvester's parents came out and set the game up for them. When the time came for the game to begin, each person was assigned to their group by Sylvester's mother; (Caroline refused to participate at all.)

"There are three teams - Evelyn and Raven are the Green Team, Ray and Winter are the Grey Team, Piers and Sylvester are the Blue Team. The chest has been placed somewhere in town, and the clues can be found in their select places. You may not be separated from your partner. Each team will get a watch and view the first piece of the map showing the town and your destination. You all have an hour to collect the pieces and retrieve the chest. It's 9:00 AM now, so you shall have until 10:00 AM." After the Earl Carpenter handed out the watches and allowed them to look over the map piece, she concluded, "Your time starts now."

Each of them broke up into their teams of two and set out on their way out of the yard and through town. Sylvester and Piers ran ahead of everyone down the select path; eventually each team ended up in the park they'd been at the day before.

"The first map piece shows the second is here," Sylvester recalled aloud to Piers. "Let's hurry and find it before they do."

They hurried across the clearing and passed up the fountain, heading for the tree labelled as 'Raven's Shadow'. Piers looked over the tree as Sylvester scanned the surrounding area for anything peculiar. After nothing was found on the select tree, they moved on back to 'Dove's Fountain' in case they'd missed something. But there was nothing strange lurking about the park's beautiful display.

Suddenly there was a cut off gasp; Sylvester found the small figures of Raven and Evelyn that made up the Green Team. Evelyn's hand was placed directly over Raven's mouth. "Don't let them here you," she hissed before she let her friend go and reached up for something hidden within the tree called 'Eagle's Refuge'. As Evelyn plucked the second map piece from the tree's grasp, she caught sight of the watchful eyes of the rival team.

"Uh oh," Raven murmured.

"Now see what you've done!" Evelyn hissed as she frantically looked over the clue. As required, she set the piece back once she'd finished and hurried away, dragging Raven along by her hand. Sylvester immediately took out the piece and recognized the outline of a nearby amusement park.

"They're making us travel a long distance," Piers complained. Ignoring his partner, Sylvester set the piece back, having memorized the entire clue. He and Piers carried on to where the amusement park was located. It was a surprisingly short walk; when Sylvester checked his watch, it was only 9:14 AM.

"Just because we got lucky, let's not slack off," Sylvester said. "There's still time for the Grey Team to catch up."

After Piers nodded in agreement, Sylvester led him to another tree that was set near the entrance of the amusement park. This particular tree had been labelled as 'Wolf's Knight' by the map.

"The next piece should be in this exact area, right?" Piers asked.

"More or less. But if my father hid this one, don't be surprised if it's _inside __the actual park."_

As they scoured the area, there was no sign of the third piece. There was also no sign of the other teams. "Where did they go?" Sylvester pondered aloud. "Don't tell me they're actually in there."

As if in response to this, the Grey Team appeared suddenly. "Are we too late?" Winter breathed.

"Of course not," Piers replied sourly. "We're just lost, and we have no clue where the Green Team went."

"Who cares about them?" Ray said, fixing his eyes on the park ahead. "Every team for themselves. If we can't find the clues out here, we're going in... Hey!"

Sylvester caught Evelyn and Raven approaching from behind the fence that separated the park grounds from the outside.

"How did you guys get in without having to pay?!" Ray exclaimed.

"We didn't trespass, if that's what you think," Evelyn told them. "We only went on the other side of the fence. Sylvester's parents know we don't have money for actual admission."

"We could have gone in this entire time!" Piers shouted.

"And now it's 9:20," Winter added. "Who knows how many pieces we have until we find this treasure."

"Well... good luck!" Evelyn skipped alongside Raven and out of sight. Though it would be much simpler to follow them, it was forbidden to move any further without first looking over each clue in the designated order. Despite how the game was turning out for him so far, Sylvester was enjoying the game nonetheless. (At least he was nowhere near his dreaded betrothed.) Besides, no matter which team found the treasure first, they would all head back home in the end and enjoy the remainder of his 11th birthday, and in any way he desired.

The teams both jumped the fence and set off in their separate directions. Sylvester went straight for what he remembered to be 'Badger's Nest'. To his satisfactory, he removed the third piece from behind the old oak tree and carefully looked that clue over with Piers as well. He set it back before the Grey Team could notice.

"I'm finding the next one," Piers vowed in a tart whisper.

Suddenly there came a high-pitched scream, its location beyond their eyes.

"That's Raven," Winter called out. "Come on!"

The teams met back up and joined together as they pursued the child's desperate cries. Sylvester found himself out of breath as they stopped in the shadow of an ominous, tall figure, who was accompanied by several others. Evelyn and Raven were lying flatly on the ground, their faces pressed against the cement by black leather shoes.

"Welcome to the party," said the menacing stranger.


	19. Chapter 19

11-year-old Sylvester opened his eyes, finding himself strapped in a chair with belts, and in a dark room with other distorted figures before and alongside him in a wide-spread circle tied against chairs as well. One window illuminated the silhouettes with a dim indigo light. An ominous creaking came from below the hardwood floor, and light footsteps began making their way up to where they sat in horrified wait.

"Sylvester," came a voice from beside him. "You're awake?"

"Yeah." Sylvester recognized the steady voice of Piers. "Where are we...?"

"Don't know, man." That voice came from Ray. "Let's-"

"Quiet," Winter said in a loud whisper. "He's coming."

The children fell into a tense silence as a man emerged from the staircase. With what light entered the room, Sylvester could make out greasy blonde hair and blue-green eyes. Suddenly Sylvester took notice of the man's left hand, whose fingers were crippled and didn't reach far beyond his knuckles.

"Your parents should know better than to let their children roam freely with a serial killer in town."

"What do you want with a bunch of kids?" Winter dared ask. "We have nothing to offer scum like you."

"Watch your mouth... you brat." He pulled a pocket knife from his pocket; the sharp blade shot out of its shield with a sharp clinking sound that made the kids flinch. "Unless you want to meet your maker chopped into bite-size pieces."

"Please don't kill us!" Raven squealed suddenly. "I want my mum!"

"Sorry, kid... but you've become my property now." The man looked over each of his captives. "You may each call me Mister Clinton, for you have no need knowing my birth name."

Sylvester struggled against the belts, but they didn't even budge. His arms were tied against the armchairs, his ankles to the legs of the seat, whilst other belts wrapped around so his back met the front of the chair so he was sitting properly. The belts had all been tightly secured while they were unconscious so that, despite all the struggling, it would be impossible to escape on his own. The others were tied up similarly.

"We're no one's 'property'," Winter said, self-confidence bringing out her voice. "And tell us what you even have to gain from holding children as captives."

"I could name off numerous reasons for you," replied the man. "First, I could tell your parents I'm keeping you here and demand their money, or perhaps I should wait for them to offer up their own reward and order them to raise it..."

"That's mean!" Raven screamed. "You're a _bad guy._"

"I know, sweetie," he chaffed. "But some people... are just like that."

Clinton walked with a slow pace toward one of his prisoners, the pocket knife still in hand. For the first time Sylvester realized that Evelyn was still asleep, and she was who the man was approaching.

"Don't hurt her," Sylvester said in that very minute. "None of us have done anything."

Ignoring him, Clinton knelt down and lifted Evelyn's limp chin, stroking her throat with the tip of his blade; his eyes shone dangerously as he did so. They all stared on in profound terror as he dropped the knife and made a move toward her left eye; using his non-crippled hand, he dug his fingernails inside her eye socket and arranged them firmly around the eyeball. Then, with a harsh pluck of his wrist, he removed the eye completely. A steady gush of blood followed it out; the optic nerve snapped at once, releasing the eyeball so that Clinton could hold it before everyone and the now-conscious Evelyn, who had begun shrieking in extreme pain.

The light from outside illuminated the scarlet blood that drenched Clinton's hand, Evelyn's lap, the floor below them and the eyeball itself. The children were all too shook even to scream. Instead they stared on with unblinking eyes; Piers turned his head away and vomited.

"So you see, my beauties..." the gruesome man said as he stood up, "I'm not afraid to hurt kids. I do as I please, whenever I please, and care only for profit. Yes, some people are like that. It's a hard fact in life, but you must learn to live with it. ...Though you are all probably much too young to understand."

"Even if you kill us, you will be discovered," Winter said resiliently, as the rest were still struck speechless. "I really do hope perverted bastards like yourself rot in Hell."

"What makes you think I'm a pervert?" he asked with fictitious innocence. "There are no pedophiles here. Only a man who's a _tad_ thirsty for profit."

"How can we know that?" Winter challenged the adult. "For all we know, you'll rape each and every one of us."

As Clinton walked back toward the staircase, he looked back once at the young teenage girl. "...Maybe so." With that, he disappeared down into shadow.

"What's gonna happen to us?!" Raven exclaimed once he'd gone.

"We're gonna be fine," Sylvester replied softly, purely to comfort her. "Nothing will happen to you. We're going to get out of here one way or another, so we may as well be calm in doing so."

"What? Do you have a plan, genius?" Piers questioned him.

Sylvester looked around for something that could be helpful. He nearly gasped when he saw the pocketknife in Evelyn's lap. The girl was once again out cold.

"Winter, you're closest to it," Sylvester told the girl. "See if you can find a way to grab that knife. It could cut through the belts."

"How am I suppose to do that?"

"Improvise."

Reluctantly the girl fidgeted for where Evelyn was sat at, lifting and planting the legs of the chair one by one with her steady body movements. Sylvester hadn't expected to pull off the stunt this way; as she stretched her neck down and grabbed the knife between her teeth, it was indeed obvious she was talented at escaping tight situations. It was relieving how quickly she pulled it off, and without a single interruption by their captor. Winter then delicately placed the sharp side blade against the belt wrapped over her arm, and after an agonizingly long few minutes, her arm and hand were free.

She swapped the knife to her hand now, continuing cutting until she was completely out, then hurried on to free the scared Raven. Once she slit each belt that retained the child, footsteps sounded up the stairs.

"Open the window and get yourselves out!" Sylvester whispered urgently.

"Why didn't you free Evelyn first?" Raven sobbed as Winter tried at the tightly-sealed window.

Winter, forced to ignore Raven in favor of time, snapped the window open and sent it up the farthest it could go. She then proceeded to take Raven's arm and they both jumped out on the outside windowsill, then out of sight.

Clinton then returned with a cardboard box. He froze at the dire scene.

"Where are they?" he demanded. "Where'd they go?! Answer me!"

"They left," Sylvester put bluntly. "We told them to."

"You did what?" Clinton noticed the open window and immediately searched it, dipping his head outside and looking every which way. "...I don't need them," he announced, closing the window and seemingly accepting this inexplicable fate. "Should they reveal where I am, I shall kill each of you in turn. But for now..." He removed the lid from the box. "Let's have some fun... my way."

* * *

Sunlight fought its way over the horizon, lighting the room once more with its dull glow through the dirtied glass of the window. This was the morning of their fourth day as hostages. Each day they'd spent being tortured by Clinton; on their second day he came to them drunk and set his dog on Sylvester. A heavy scar ran directly across his belly from the very incident.

Now, on their fourth day, they sat in subdued silence, failing to find anything to say. Winter and Raven had gone, but there had been no signs of the police coming to their rescue. And now there were those familiar footsteps once more.

"How delightful to see your cute little faces again," Clinton said as he revealed himself to their dreary eyes. "I hope you slept well, because I've decided to let you out and allow you to wander the house!"

"You what?" Ray said.

"Relax, this is no trap. I have security guarding each and every room and exit. Since none of you have eaten or relieved yourselves in four days, I've decided to be generous."

Clinton untied each of the children, appearing confident in his decision to let the children roam freely around his home. With them each starving and drowsy, there was no chance of overpowering Clinton by outnumbering him. Instead, they followed them downstairs obediently.

"There's food in the kitchen and a bathroom just here," Clinton said as they emerged from the staircase. "Make yourselves at home..."

_So he's decided to keep us as pets, _Sylvester concluded as he followed Clinton down a hallway on a tour. _Or at least until he's had enough of us and kills us each in our sleep._

As they entered the living room, Sylvester saw the exact dog that had planted the scar across his back. It jumped off the couch, only to be tamed by Clinton's risen hand and an uttered, "Sit."

He turned his head and smiled at the group of four. "This is Alfie. I assume you remember him... he will not be hurting you again. And that's the end of the tour, so run along now, darlings."

Sylvester caught sight of Evelyn heading for the bathroom, while Ray went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Piers kept to Sylvester's side, so close that the sleeves of their shirts brushed against each other.

"He's keeping us as pets," Sylvester spoke his thoughts to his friend in a whisper. "We need to find someway out of here."

The two went down the halls of the house, inspecting each room and searching for something that would be helpful to them. To their disadvantage, guards were at each window and door as promised, but the phones as well were under the guards' watchful eyes. Finally they retreated back to the kitchen, where Ray was standing with a half-eaten pear in his hand. Just then Evelyn returned from the restroom, and the group was together for whatever time they had.

"We're not staying here," Sylvester declared quietly to his friends. "We're going to find a way out."

"So soon?"

The children all turned to see Clinton emerge from behind the door and enter his kitchen. "I'd be quite gloomy if you decide to leave so soon. I thought we could all live together... more or less like a family." The capricious man - who appeared to Sylvester to be in his mid-twenties - lowered his gaze in apparent sorrow, only to lift his head back up to offer a sudden expression of his own bitter fury. "I suppose that's not an option for any longer."


	20. Chapter 20

Sylvester, Piers, Ray and Evelyn were led down into a pitch-black basement, with guards at their heels and Clinton going on ahead and lighting a single candle in the middle of the room. No windows offered any extra light for their eyes; the golden rays were all they had as the basement door behind them was shut.

Sylvester made out the silhouette of Clinton's handgun. "I guess I have no choice," the man sighed. "But... to slaughter each of you disobedient hounds."

In response to his words, the guards came up behind each of the kids and placed their hands on their shoulders so as not to let them run. Clinton then rose his gun and aimed it directly for Ray's head. Evelyn screamed in protest, but to no avail. Clinton pulled the trigger. The gunshot filled the room with an ear-piercing bang that echoed eerily, breaking the stuffy silence the basement usually held.

"Three dogs left," Clinton said, reloading his gun. "But which to punish next?" He began pacing around the children, eyeing each of them with pale turquoise eyes. "Ah, I know." He stopped before Evelyn. "Why not the mangled bitch-pup that serves no purpose here anyhow?"

"Why are you doing this to us?" Piers screamed.

Clinton ignored the boy and put his non-crippled hand to Evelyn's pants, raising the hand slowly up her body and stroking it with his fingers until they met her throat. With a sudden move, he grabbed her throat and, with all his arm muscle, snapped her neck. There was a cut-off gasp from the disabled girl, and the already-dulled light left her eyes as she collapsed at his feet.

"Dire mongrels," Clinton whispered distantly as he smeared Evelyn's blood across his face and turned on the remaining children with eyes that flamed like wildfire. "They still do not know true pain." For a moment longer the boys made silent eye contact with the frightening man. He looked as if he were having personal conflict with himself, until he placed his gun back in its sheath, his eyes still cold and unblinking. "I'm not quite sure which to kill next... so why don't we play a game to find out?"

"What sort of game?" Sylvester asked through clenched teeth, trying to stay calm and also not lose his temper.

"A fun sort of game!" Clinton replied. "Or fun to me, at least. One in which one of you will be revealed stronger than the other, and therefore you shall _earn _your right to live." He placed the lifeless bodies of Ray and Evelyn beside each other before continuing, "You must have a strong _stomach _to win, though."

For a moment Piers and Sylvester were dumbfounded, until they finally figured out for themselves what the stranger was asking of them, and once again Piers was on the verge of vomiting.

"Eat your friends," Clinton said. "Whoever finishes theirs first wins, and you-"

Piers began to scream. "There's no way in Hell that will happen!"

"You're out of your mind," Sylvester added, sweating heavily and finding himself light-headed. "Don't you think you've traumatized us enough? Perhaps you should consider killing yourself before contemplating the deaths of others!"

Clinton approached them now, batting Sylvester over the head. "You have no right to speak to me, your master, in such a way!"

"My master?" Sylvester exclaimed. "You are a complete stranger in my eyes, and have absolutely no right to tell me nor any of my friends what to do, and you were especially never permitted to murder any of us in cold blood. You're the only dog here, if anyone is, and perhaps it's _you _who needs a master after all. Would you not agree, sir?"

Sylvester's words were met by silence. The boy looked to his side and caught Piers staring at him in awe. _What's that all about? _Sylvester wondered. _I'm only standing up for us, you know!_

"What nerve," Clinton murmured. "On the verge of death and you're still strong enough to stand up to me, like that. I recognize and even admire those efforts. However..." Clinton's eyes narrowed to slits. "You are still only hounds. There's nothing that can be done for you, and you remain with the choices of either eating your friends or surrendering to the same fate."

"I'd rather die," Piers said, spitting at Clinton's fine leather boots.

"Little bastard!" The small retaliation seemed to set the man's temper off. Clinton turned his back on them to take Evelyn's shirt collar in his hand and raise her up off the ground. Using his crippled hand, he lifted her arm up to his mouth and, to Sylvester's disgust, bit a chunk from her finger. Lifeless blood seeped from the newly inflicted gash whilst Clinton chewed and swallowed the torn flesh.

Piers vomited once more, having to be supported by the guard still restraining him so he wouldn't fall. Sylvester could easily tell it was becoming too much for his friend to handle; Sylvester himself was terrified and even felt faint, though he wouldn't show it before the stranger who picked at any signs of weakness. He couldn't bare to look as Clinton took another finger, then another. Sylvester recognized the crunching of bone and splashing of blood without having to look.

A sudden thud opened Sylvester's eyes, and Evelyn's body was limp on the ground. Clinton took out his pocketknife, revealing that he wasn't quite finished. He then knelt beside the carcass and carved a circle into Evelyn's arm, then tore it out and stuffed it into his mouth. _I'm trapped in here with a cannibal, _Sylvester thought as Clinton gulped down the raw flesh, bone and blood of the little girl. _What a way to go._

When Sylvester looked up again, the entire arm of Evelyn had gone; there was only an empty sleeve and splattered blood in its wake. Clinton rose to his feet, stumbling slightly with blood dripping from his jaws and twitchy eyes. He staggered toward where Piers was swaying in place; the sight of his friend mentally suffering from this had Sylvester wishing he could do something for his sake. But truly, there was nothing left.

"Do you want some?" Clinton rasped, spurts of blood following the words out from his lips. When Piers didn't respond, he went on, "Why don't you have a taste? It might just change your mind."

"Do anything you want to me," Sylvester said. "Just leave him. Can't you see he's had enough?"

Clinton merely brushed off his words. "Y'know..." he whispered to Piers, "I was hesitant at first, as well. But you can make it however you please. You could cook it, or if you prefer it raw, that's fine also. The sweet, tenderness of flesh is pointless to resist, especially for dogs like yourself."

"No," Piers breathed, his eyes widening as far as they could go. "...No."

"Yes." Clinton pressed in closer, his bloodied lips nearly touching the boy's ear. "Eat it!"

"NO!"

Blackness claimed them as the candle's light went out, its smoke mingling with the scent of blood. Sylvester searched desperately for something... anything. And suddenly there was a new voice, though Sylvester couldn't quite make out what it was saying. Then there was a familiar voice.

_"I order you to get both me and my friend out of here!"_

* * *

Sylvester ignored the school bell's toll, as he was sitting on a bench in wait of someone. He was surprised as two familiar faces made their way over. Winter and Piers stood before him.

"Hi, Sylvester," Winter greeted him with high spirits.

"Hi..." Sylvester's voice trailed as his eyes switched to Piers. "What's going on?"

"This is your first day of high school, is it not?" Winter said. "We wanted to wish you good luck."

"'We'?" Sylvester repeated, sounding out his confusion.

"We're dating," Piers told him. Sylvester gaped in shock as he continued, "Turns out, we have a lot in common. I shouldn't have judged her so quick."

"...But you're dating?" Sylvester breathed. "Even after he nearly tossed you over a bridge at one point, Winter?!"

"That was a while back," Piers protested. "We really are happy together, honestly. Besides, our relationship is none of your concern. You don't have the right to question it."

"Excuse me?" Sylvester got up now, his eyes blazing emerald.

"Yes," Piers said. "Excuse you."

Winter stepped in between them. "I don't want you two fighting. Remember, we're friends."

"Maybe not so much anymore," Sylvester responded, staring at Piers and making his way past them for the school doors. "The entire reason I went to public school was so that we could all be together. But now I can see that love is getting in the way of that."

"It wasn't _love _that got in the way, and you know it," Piers reminded him. "You're thirteen now, Sylvester. Perhaps you need only act your age."

Sylvester lowered his glare to where a bracelet adorned his friend's wrist. "That isn't there for decoration," Sylvester stated, and continued walking toward the entry doors of the school before Piers could respond.

* * *

"Hhuuwuh...?"

Sylvester opened his eyes. It took a minute before he recognized the room he found himself in. The cold had chilled him to the bone, making him so stiff that he couldn't even move. He was sitting... leaned up against the wall of the restaurant's cooler... waiting.

_Click... clink... click..._

Sylvester's gaze shifted as creaky footsteps sounded from above then stopped abruptly, followed by the faint opening of a door and even closer footsteps approaching. And then the cooler door opened...

"Sebastian...?"

Devilish eyes observed the dying child with what could only be identified as contempt. Yet the demon went on and gathered the earl in his arms, gracefully fleeing the restaurant and presumably heading back for the manor. A conversation he couldn't make out went back and forth between the butler and whoever was following them, but Sylvester's eyes weren't open to see who it was. There was a distinct pause in the demon's words and a sudden, tight whisper in his ear, "You mustn't fall asleep."

Eventually the pace slowed, and Sylvester weakly opened his eyes to see his estate. Someone was standing in his driveway...

"Master?" Sebastian's speed quickened and stopped as he met with Ciel. The young demon was standing with a distant look to his eye, though when Sebastian reached him he walked back to the mansion as if nothing had happened. Sebastian passed a few words along to the stranger before he followed Ciel inside; Sylvester recognized the grim reaper Grell as he retreated into the black of night.

Sebastian closed the door behind him and delicately lied Sylvester down on the couch. He gathered blankets and smothered them over the teen. "I shall some prepare tea," Sebastian said, and walked away into the kitchen. Ciel sat himself across from the earl.

"There is something you should know," Ciel began. "Winter's parents came over."

"What'd they say?" It hurt Sylvester to talk, not to mention his voice cracked like dry voice.

"They said... that her captor was found hung in his own home, in his living room, and that you no longer have reason to investigate her case."

"How could that be true?" Sylvester demanded. "If I can't get my revenge, then we can't fulfill the contract."

"Then it obviously was not true," Ciel responded. "In fact, I suspect they may know a thing or two about what happened to Winter that night."

"What did you do?" Sylvester asked. "Where are they now?"

"I... had to let them go."

"Why?" Sylvester exclaimed, coughing roughly as he did so. "Why let them go? You were that close to getting my soul, and you let it slip away under your nose, Ciel?!"

"I became confused," Ciel said. "And I had another attack. I went after them to the end of the property, but that was as far as I could go. Then you and Sebastian returned."

"I wouldn't care if you had a death scythe lodged in your damn skull!" Sylvester mustered up his strength to sit up and make direct eye contact with his bodyguard. "You are suppose to do everything in your power to complete this contract, is that not so? I will no longer stand for you slacking off like this. If you are even about to lose your mind, I wouldn't doubt for a second that you'd continue to dedicate yourself to my soul alone. You will not fail me so again. Am I understood, Ciel?"

It took everything in the demon's power not to get up and slap this brat across the face. He obeyed his master's every command.

"Yes, Sylvester," Ciel muttered.

"That's 'Yes, _my Lord' _to you, now," Sylvester corrected.

Sebastian returned with the tea. Sylvester took a sip before he exchanged a glance with Ciel.

"You will not be doing anything else without me at your side. I obviously cannot trust you to do as you're told when you're left alone, so I guess I have to be there to hold your hand." When Ciel grimaced, he continued, "Though I'm suffering hypothermia, I can tough it out, at least until the time comes for you to consume my soul. You see, Ciel, I am stronger than you in this way."

Ciel clenched his teeth in utter hatred of this adolescent. He contemplated whether he should just eat his soul on the spot and move on. _No... _Ciel thought. _I can and will show him that I am superior. He is the only child here._

"Anyhow," Sylvester went on after another sip of tea, "Before we go after her parents, there's something else I need to take care of first."


	21. Chapter 21

"Stay out here."

Sylvester turned his back to Ciel and Sebastian as he approached a house unfamiliar to his bodyguard.

"Why?" Ciel questioned his master.

"This is rather personal," Sylvester replied, pulling out and cocking his handgun. "There's no need for you to see this."

"Sylvester - I mean, my Lord - I wish to see what you plan on doing. Please allow me to accompany you."

Sylvester sighed. "I should know by now that there's no point in arguing with you, Ciel."

And so Sylvester turned the knob, opened the door and, holding the gun out before him, met the eyes of a strange woman. Without hesitation, Sylvester pulled the trigger and a bullet penetrated through the skin of the woman's shoulder; she was brought to her knees from the sudden impact, placing a hand against the gushing wound.

"You betrayed me, your own flesh and blood. You believed me to be all you had left, or so you said. And still, you turn me in, as if being a criminal is the drawn line. I've had enough of the lies." He avoided her gaze as he reloaded his gun. "Now I'll make you suffer for your hypocritical decisions. You judged me, your son."

"I will always love you," replied the earl's mother, as she did not let go of the painful gash.

"What a futile attempt to save your life, telling me such things," Sylvester said as he aimed his gun for her again. "How very pathetic." Another bullet struck his mother, this time near her ribs. Ciel found himself dumbfounded, for he had no way of knowing why Sylvester was turning on his own mother. He hadn't known that she was the reason he'd ended up at an asylum.

"She's responsible for my capture..." Sylvester explained briefly. "And so I shall have myself responsible for her death."

"Sylvester..." his mother choked, clots of blood spurting from her lips. "You must have... mercy... on your-"

But her words were cruelly cut off.

A limp body lie before the young earl Carpenter. "That's it, then," Sylvester said, turning his back to her. "I'm finally an orphan."

He returned his gun to its sheath, then stalked past Ciel and Sebastian without a word. As he went back to where the car was parked, Ciel turned to his butler.

"I've noted Sylvester's behavior lately. If you discover anything he's been keeping from my knowing, you are to report it to me at once. That's an order."

Sebastian put a hand to his chest by obligation. "Yes, my lord."

"Hurry it the hell up," came a cry from the car. Sighing, Ciel and Sebastian left the property.

* * *

"...Ciel. Come on, Ciel, answer me already!"

Ciel opened his eyes and caught sight of his master earl Carpenter standing over his bed; the demon sat up and stretched his arms with a yawn.

"I thought demons didn't have to sleep," Sylvester said.

"They don't." Ciel looked at his master. "But sometimes it's better to leave this world in favor of dreamless peace, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure... but you went straight to bed when we got back from my mother's house."

Ciel blinked. "I expected you to do the same. It was nearly morning."

"That's not what I meant Ciel, and you know it."

The young Phantomhive sighed in annoyance. He could already tell where this was going, according to Sylvester's new change in attitude. "Then what exactly did you mean?"

"I don't want you sleeping anymore," Sylvester cut to the chase. "You don't have to sleep, so I wouldn't expect you to. Besides, you don't want to make yourself vulnerable in your current condition. ...You're no use to me a mindless creature."

Though Ciel could put up an argument, he nodded obediently. "Yes, my lord..."

"I'm going back to bed; that was all I had to say. We are to give Winter's parents a visit first thing in the morning-"

"Wait," Ciel interrupted. "You're still not in the proper condition to be going out. I shouldn't have allowed you to leave the house at all... for your sake alone, you should be resting."

"First of all," Sylvester exclaimed, taking a step back in apparent indignation. "I did not give you permission to interrupt me. Secondly, I am obviously fine to be going out. If I can shoot a gun, I can handle and protect myself. Perhaps it's _you _you should be worrying about."

"You have no obligation to be protecting yourself, for that is my job. My only concern - for as long as you are alive - is to guard your life with my own. That being said... please trust me not to lose my mind."

"Fine," Sylvester gave in. "Just... don't fall back asleep."

Ciel watched silently as the earl left the room. _So he does worry for my sake... _Ciel thought with a trickle of surprise. _A bit more than I'd anticipated. Even if it does embarrass him, he seems to care about me. _Ciel imagined this was because Sylvester didn't want to end up alone. It was as if the teen feared losing everything he had, even though he agreed to a contract promising this. _And now he's an orphan. So much has happened, it must be hard for him to cope... but he must move on. There is no moving forward without the pain. He may well die in vain if he refuses this fact._

Ciel rose from his bed and walked down to Sylvester's office. There, he sought out laminated papers and files on their latest suspects and the most recent news of London. Those would all have gone to waste if Winter's parents held the answer to the prolonged, investigated mystery. Out of simple curiosity, Ciel picked up the newspaper and looked it over. Its title read:

**_Criminal Sylvester Carpenter Housed In Mental Asylum Is Declared Missing_**

Ciel laughed as he read on. "So you got yourself in the news again," he thought aloud to himself, then sighed. "Your relatives will surely turn you over once they hear of this." It was now only a matter of time until the police discovered the earl had returned to his estate, and they come to arrest him.

A sudden meowing caught Ciel's attention; he set the newspaper down as a cat made its way inside the office. Though this cat was not the charcoal tom with mismatched eyes. Rather, this particular cat had black hair and crimson eyes.

"And just what provoked you to turn into this form?" Ciel muttered as he bent over and picked up the Sebastian-cat. It meowed again, louder, as Ciel held it against his chest and walked out of the office with it in his arms.

"I do hope you're feeling better than I am," Ciel added as another spasm set in, and he set the feline demon on the couch in the living room. This one came harder than the other recent ones, and Ciel nearly cried out as the pain etched its way throughout all traces of his demonic body. He hardly noticed Sebastian jumping from the couch and leaving Ciel to fend for himself.

_Damn demon, _Ciel thought as he held his belly in his arms and ultimately fell to the floor. _I feel like I'm going to die!_

"Se-Sebastian...!" Ciel cried. "Se-"

Ciel was cut off when a gloved hand was placed over his lips, and he was pulled back into someone's embrace with an arm from behind him.

"Please just relax," came Sebastian's voice. "It should be over soon."

Ciel wasn't quite sure whether his butler was correct or trying to ease his thoughts, but still Ciel tried to relax his muscles as the spasm passed over. It ended rather quickly; when it did, Ciel sighed with relief, and Sebastian let go of his master and got back up on his feet.

"That looked quite painful," Sebastian commented as he helped Ciel stand back up. "Are you sure you're alright, young master?"

"Y-Yes, Sebastian," Ciel replied, refusing to make eye contact with the inquisitive face. "It was simply another attack."

"But of course, there is more to it than just that," Sebastian sighed. "The pain isn't all you must worry about."

Ciel glared up at him. "What are you getting at? Are you saying this disease will get the best of me?"

Sebastian bowed his head. "That is exactly what I worry about, my lord. It seems you can read me like a book."

Ciel couldn't help but blush. "Just shut up," he muttered with mild irritation. "Besides, this is nothing new. If I've put up with this for over a month now, then surely I can go for much longer in this condition."

"It only gets worse from here," Sebastian warned. "What shall come of you when you are under an attack at the wrong time, especially if I am not there to assist you?"

Ciel couldn't think up a reply to his butler's argument. It was very true that the plague could easily overpower any demon, and it was pointless for Ciel to deny that fact so arrogantly.

"All I can do now is wait it out," Ciel concluded. "I cannot sit back and do nothing as this eats away at me. If I must do something, then I shall put what time I have to completing this contract and claiming that brat's soul."

"Yes, my lord." Despite the butler's monotone reply, Ciel noted the reluctant look to Sebastian.

"Also," Ciel added. "I order you not to get infected. Whatever it takes, I cannot afford to put you at risk."

"I apologize, my lord, but I have-"

"W-What?" Ciel said edgily. Sebastian pulled his sleeve up his arm and revealed a bite-mark on the inside of his elbow. Ciel stared on with profound shock.

"It _bit_ you..." Ciel whispered disbelievingly. He himself had gotten infected at the mere touch of a demon after it had picked him up. But this...

"I have already become infected," Sebastian confirmed.


	22. Chapter 22

Ciel stood in his fright as wind blew in from the opened window in the earl Carpenter's bedroom. The bed was completely empty of any trace of the teen.

"Sylvester!"

Ciel turned to Sebastian, who had followed him up to the room. "We must find him. It's too cold for him out there... He won't last long."

"Allow me, sir," Sebastian offered. "I shall find the earl."

"Don't be tedious," Ciel responded curtly. "There's no way we're being separated again. We'll both go."

And so the two infected demons left the estate and walked straight into the eye of a night blizzard. Through the snow, Ciel noticed the car had gone. _How duplicitous of him._

As they made their way through town, there were distant screams of fright that were carried to their ears by the rapid wind. "The demons have arrived," Ciel commented.

"So they have," Sebastian replied. "Let us keep low, then."

Ciel blinked up at the elusive butler. "Why should we, if we are already sick?"

"Whether or not they pose a threat, it might be in everyone's best interest to keep our distance." Sebastian smiled down upon his master. "There is no reason to ask for unnecessary trouble."

Ciel narrowed his gaze as he looked back ahead at the sidewalk. "Quite."

Another closer scream echoed through the night. Ciel rounded a corner and caught the gleam of a death scythe as it slashed through the air. A figure rose before a injured demon, and turned to reveal the familiar face of William T. Spears.

"What an unpleasant sight," William greeted them contemptuously. "Two filthy hounds."

"You're not far too charming a sight, either," Ciel retorted.

"I presume you two are not one of those infected?" William went on. "Otherwise you would not appear in your current state."

"Quite right," Ciel said before Sebastian could speak. "And we wish to keep it that way."

"If you'll excuse me..." The shinigami said as he finished off the captured demon. "I'm far too busy for idle chit-chat."

As the grim reaper stalked away down the pavement, Ciel felt another oncoming attack. _No... this isn't the place!_

William turned his head back as small cries emitted from Ciel. "What the devil is wrong with that child?"

"It's nothing," Sebastian replied as he picked Ciel up in his arms. "Please go on with your business. I recall you mentioning that you're rather busy."

"This is rather intriguing," William pressed on, adjusting his spectacles as he approached them both. He was only a mere foot away when he glared up inquiringly at Sebastian. "Not infected, eh?"

In response, Sebastian back-flipped out of the way of the prying reaper. Interested yet, William went in hot pursuit as Sebastian carried Ciel down the roads of London. The pruner that was William's death scythe shot forward; Sebastian gracefully dodged the blow as he jumped atop a roof. As William jumped after him, Sebastian ran across the rooftop and leaped effortlessly to the next roof, and the next.

"How are you fairing?" he asked Ciel.

"I... I-I'm fine," Ciel breathed, his eyes tightly shut. "Just keep going...!"

Sebastian noted the painful, ragged breaths that radiated off his young master. Sebastian, having only been recently infected, was yet to experience such agonizing spasms. He certainly didn't look forward to them.

"Sebastian!"

Ciel's sudden shout reminded Sebastian of their current situation. At the very end of the rooftop stood two infected demons; Sebastian immediately came to a halt, glancing back as the sound of William's landing feet reached them.

"Let's make this quick," William said, raising his death scythe before him. "Are you infected as well, demon spawn?"

Sebastian smirked most deviously. "I'm afraid so."

"Se-Sebastian," Ciel repeated suddenly. A horribly familiar face appeared from behind William, and then another. It was Nolan and Grell.

"You're clearly outnumbered," Nolan said. "We shall exterminate you infected demons, and this time..." she pulled her own death scythe out. "...We won't miss."

"I'm sorry it has to be like this, Sebastian darling." Grell wrapped his arms around himself with bright yellow-green eyes. "I never wanted my Bassy to get infected! So please allow me to send the blow that sends you on. Farewell, my sweet!"

Sebastian took a large step back as a chainsaw came down in the futile attempt to end the butler's demonic life. The pruner shot forward once more; Sebastian ducked his head as he dodged another attack by the chainsaw. Suddenly fingers wrapped around Sebastian's wrist from behind. When he turned around, he met the cloudy eyes of an infected demon. In that very moment, Grell swung the chainsaw at Sebastian's head.

But the able butler was ready for this. Keeping Ciel held against him with a single arm, Sebastian thrust his captured wrist forward, bringing the infected demon with him. In a single swift movement, he placed the demon above him so that the chainsaw sliced cleanly through its exposed throat. Sebastian maneuvered below the seized body and made it to the next rooftop, returning his arm to its position to firmly adjust Ciel so he would not fall.

"It would help if you held on," Sebastian murmured against Ciel's ear.

"Shut up and keep going!" Ciel returned heatedly, refusing to cooperate.

"Is it that painful, sir?" Sebastian asked, becoming impatient. "Can you not try?"

"Be quiet!"

Sebastian stopped abruptly in his tracks as a hand was slapped across his face. His intolerant stare bore down on Ciel for a moment, making the young demon uncomfortable.

"Do comply with me, if not for a short while, my lord," Sebastian requested softly, despite his expression. "It would be most appreciated."

When Ciel finally obeyed his butler's wishes and wrapped his arms around his neck, Sebastian continued on with their retreat from the grim reapers that were now closing in. Though he hadn't anticipated Grell appeared before them as Sebastian was about to jump the next building.

"You can run all you like," said the red-haired reaper. "There is no escaping."

"On the contrary, Grell," Sebastian responded calmly, "You could let us go."

"Oh, but that wouldn't be fun..." Grell stroked Sebastian's chin with a gloved finger. "I've been dying to see you, and if this is to be our last moment while you're sane, then I want to cherish it all my own!" Grell took a step back as he studied the demon. "And then I shall take it upon myself to put you out of your misery! How very generous of me, wouldn't you say?"

As he spoke, Nolan and William had caught up. Sebastian found himself surrounded.

"Oh dear," he fretted with a smile. "This doesn't look too promising."

"Save it, you insolent beast of a creature," Nolan spat, emphasizing her hatred into each word. "This marks the end of your journey."

"Normally, I might agree with you on that note," Sebastian admitted. "But in such a case, I don't believe that's so."

"What-"

A sudden crash interrupted the shinigami. The roof had begun caving in on itself beneath Sebastian's feet; dust and grit flew upward as the two demons were plunged inside the house.

"Damn him," Nolan exclaimed as she and the male reapers went in after them. But the demon had already scoured inside the building and escaped their pursuit. The demonic butler had won the hunt.

* * *

Sebastian slowed his pace once they'd gotten far enough from the reapers to reach his content. At last he stopped in front of a bench, setting his master down gently on the chair. Not far on a river reflected the light of the moon, along with a massive bridge that led across.

"It's over now," Sebastian informed Ciel as he took a step back to observe him. Ciel's eyes still hadn't opened, and he appeared to be shivering. "Master?" Sebastian encouraged him. "Are you still holding up?"

"Yes, I'm fine," came the weak reply as Ciel half-opened his eyes. "...It just hasn't worn off completely."

"Is it truly a wise decision to expose yourself in this manner?" Sebastian inquired. "You don't seem in any condition to be out like this."

"Sebastian, quit worrying so." Ciel stood up to prove his point. "I must be there when we find Sylvester so I can give him a good slap," he added sullenly.

Sebastian nodded. "Very well, my lord. How shall we continue from here?"

"I know the brat's gone to see his late girlfriend's parents," Ciel told him. "So we shall go there at once. Hopefully we won't run into more trouble." He smirked up at Sebastian. "I would hate to see you outmatched."

Sebastian returned the grin. "I would never let you down, master."

"I'm not sure for how much longer I can resist this loathsome disease," Ciel admitted in a mutter. "I can feel myself drifting away with each passing hour." He looked up at Sebastian now. "What will happen when I lose my mind?"

"For as long as you remain in control, there is no need to worry," Sebastian assured him. "And I will always be there. I am your butler... for eternity."

"That seems no longer the case," Ciel murmured, looking out at the bridge ahead, then out at the moon overlooking them. "If either of us leaves the other, there will be nothing left."


	23. Chapter 23

Sylvester slammed the car door behind him and marched up to the front door of a fancy, decent-sized house. He pounded impatiently on the door with his bare fist.

"Open up, you bloody coots," he yelled. "You didn't think I wouldn't hear of this, did you?"

As he waited for a response, he noticed the sun was peeking out over the top of buildings in the distance. Dawn was falling over London, evaporating the dark of night and therefore risking revealing the criminal Carpenter's identity to any passing civilians.

"I wasn't kidding," he added shortly his last warning. "Show yourselves."

A car in the driveway revealed someone was home, yet there was no reply to the earl. Clenching his fists angrily, he couldn't wait any longer. Sylvester opened the door and barged in, surprised to find the door unlocked.

"What's going on here...?" Sylvester called out uncertainly as he met no person as he wandered the house. "Someone answer me!"

"You're breaking and entering!"

Sylvester nearly gasped at what he thought to be the father's voice. He quickly pulled himself together to respond, but held his breath as the man revealed himself from around a corner.

"You are Sven Blackwell?" Sylvester asked.

"Yes, but wouldn't you know?" Sven replied. "I recall us meeting time after time again, as you were close friends with my daughter. A bit too close, little earl?"

"How dare you call me that," Sylvester muttered. "So what if we liked each other? What did our relationship have to do with you?"

"You were both betrothed to other people!" Sven exclaimed. "In no matter were you and her ever allowed to wed!"

"Who ever mentioned something that requires as much dedication as marriage?" came Sylvester's curt reply. "We loved each other, but being in one another's presence was decent enough. And now we can't even have that."

"How very sad for you... I'm tearing up."

Sylvester glared up as the sarcastic words were uttered. "With your daughter dead, you still show no sympathy for our case?"

"Why should I hold any sympathy for you?" Suddenly, the man's eyes flared; Sven took Sylvester by his shirt collar and pulled him close, his hot breath fluttering Sylvester's eyelashes. "You're the reason my daughter disappeared. Give me one... _good_ reason I shouldn't beat you senseless and hand you right over to the city police. ...I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have you back in their care."

"I will never go back there," Sylvester replied solemnly, dipping his head aside to avoid Sven's foul breath baring down on him. "And if this had actually been my fault, I can assure you that I wouldn't be here speaking with you right now. I am, it seems, the only one trying to find out what exactly happened that night. Whatever you told Ciel was a lie. The captor is not dead... don't ask me how I know, but I do. And if you don't start with telling me the truth..." Sylvester took his handgun out from its sheath and drove it under Sven's cheekbone. "...I think your days will be counted."

Suddenly a shadow loomed from down the hall, and Willow Blackwell appeared with her hands clasped together and tears rolling down her face. "Please stop!" she cried. "Don't hurt him!"

Sylvester ignored her, only pressing the gun's point further against Sven's skin. The man froze in place, his eyes glaring down at the boy who had the upper hand.

"I very much doubt you will get out of this alive if you don't start talking _now_," Sylvester warned as he used his free hand to slowly remove Sven's fingers from his shirt collar.

"Don't kill him."

A new voice caused Sylvester's body to tense up entirely. As he gradually turned his head and tilted it up at a staircase, a beautiful young woman came forth. Long, thick and wavy ginger hair brought out the girl's beauty, along with gray eyes dark as night clouds. An aquamarine gown and black tights, stockings and heels brought out her slim figure.

"You... no..." Sylvester failed to put together a coherent sentence until the girl made it to the bottom of the steps. "You've been living here... this entire time."

"No, that's not true," said the girl. "I'm visiting from out in Norway with my husband. We're sharing a house with my cousin at moment, but we'll be independent as soon as we find the money."

"How could you?" Sylvester screamed. "Winter, I thought that you loved me!"

"I... I did... love you," Winter murmured. "But I fell for someone else..."

"Just like when you were dating Piers, eh?" Sylvester pressed. "You told him this as well? That you fell for someone else - which was me! - and now you're redoing this sham all over again."

"That's not even true," Winter protested. "I love you both."

"Both...?"

Winter glanced down at the floor. "I'm so sorry."

"And... that's all you have to say?" Sylvester exclaimed with desperate disbelief. "Nothing more than... I'm sorry? Perhaps even... it was meant to be this way?"

Winter glared up at him now. "Don't make me the bad guy here."

"It's obvious who's at fault," Sylvester retorted. "And yet I still don't understand. That night, your blood and a compass was found in your room after your disappearance, so what was _that_ about?"

"That compass wasn't mine," Winter said solemnly. "It belonged to Piers."

_And so it falls down to this, _Sylvester confirmed for himself. _He took Winter away from me, and he's the one who must die. Congratulations, Ciel... this contract hasn't gone to waste after all._

"Then what was with the blood?" Sylvester asked, though he was contented now that he recognized his goal once more.

"Please stop already, Sylvester."

The earl looked on, dumbfounded. "What do you mean? Did you go with Piers willingly so, nor not?"

"I asked for you to stop."

"Winter, I must know. Surely you can answer such a simple question?"

"You're interrogating me on private property," Winter put out. "I have no obligation to answer your questions."

"So you would rather leave me in the dark, after all this time? After I watched months slip by, thinking you were murdered, feeling so alone and confused since no one else was helping investigate and I assumed that I was the only one who cared about you? You still believe I don't deserve to know... is that it?"

"Sylvester!" Winter cried out, nearly in tears. "I'm begging you to stop talking!"

"Not until you give me a straight answer!"

"I'm calling the police," Willow said suddenly, heading for a phone.

"Hold it!" Sylvester pointed his handgun at the panicked woman, only increasing the severity of the chaos. His eyes were taken to the front door as the knob turned sharply. The room fell silent.

A man with long, shagged burgundy hair with bangs that nearly covered his licorice-black eyes peered through the door, then entered completely.

"He is waiting for you, young mistress," he told Winter. "The ball has already started."

"As you can see, I'm far too busy," Winter declared as she passed Sylvester without making direct eye contact. "Please forgive me. ...And please lower your gun from my mother."

Sylvester slowly let his arm drift back down to his side. "So that was it?" he inquired. "It was all a play you set up for me, was it?"

"No, it certainly was nothing of the sort," Winter replied, without looking back.

"Then the blood... you claim it wasn't yours though a DNA test proved otherwise?"

"I never said that. Leave this matter be and move on, Sylvester." Winter turned her head as she stopped at the door. "You've been told everything you need to know, so now's your chance to take a step forward in your life. Find someone else, and be happy again."

"But that's not it," Sylvester went on. "I thought you were dead, and you weren't. You left me behind and allowed me to risk my own life and reputation for your well being. And here you are, accepting this and obviously having your parents play along with your faked capture. It's all clear now, no thanks to you."

"Mistress," repeated the burgundy-haired man who was out of sight, outside the door. "It is time to leave."

"Goodbye, Sylvester," Winter whispered, giving a brief bow of her head before exiting the house, and inconceivably leaving the criminal with a gun behind with her parents...

"Piers... you manslut..." Sylvester muttered, forgetting his anger towards the involved parents and exiting the house as well. He kept his gun at the ready in preparation of seeing the familiar face, but his former friend was nowhere in sight. In fact, neither were Winter nor the peculiar man accompanying her. Cursing under his breath, Sylvester ran across the sidewalk, back to his estate. The sun had finally made its way up, only to be covered by the thick clouds scouring the dawn sky.

All the while, Sylvester couldn't get the image of blood tainting the walls out of his head. _Whose blood was that?_ Sylvester couldn't begin to describe the amount of torture he would put Piers through once he got a hold of him.

"Hey!"

A sudden yell had Sylvester stop in his tracks. His bodyguard and his butler appeared before him, running directly his way. _This saves plenty of time! _he thought. "Ciel! I-"

His words were put on hold as Ciel slapped him hard across the cheek. Sylvester just stared at him as he grasped what had just happened.

"You... bastard..." Sylvester said, rubbing his burning face.

"You think you can just leave the manor in your condition?!" Ciel shouted raucously. "How arrogant are you, you brat? Do you have the slightest idea what we went through to get here, to save your sorry ass?"

"I'm sorry," Sylvester gave in. "But I... I think we've reached the end of our quest."


	24. Chapter 24

"If this is so," Ciel began after Sylvester had finished explaining the situation." We need only find this Piers fellow and have you plant your revenge. Then the contract will be completed."

"I'm truly sorry for all I've put you through..." Sylvester murmured. "Let's finish this immediately."

The three set off for where a ball was scheduled for early dawn. It was nearing Valentine's Day and everyone was dancing out their joy for the upcoming holiday.

"I assume this is where they were heading," Sylvester said as they neared the beautiful palace holding the ball. He shouted angrily when a group of guards reminded him of his criminal history. "I'll be needing a disguise, somehow..."

"We'll think of something," Ciel assured him.

"Allow me," Sebastian offered suddenly. "Please wait here."

Sylvester and Ciel waited behind impatiently behind a tree until Sebastian returned with the Carpenter's hat.

"Hey, how did you get that?" Sylvester exclaimed. He'd lost his hat when Nolan had beat him in the restaurant just days before.

"I retrieved it while rescuing you," Sebastian explained with a seemingly friendly smile. "I removed its accessories so no one shall recognize it as yours. Be sure to keep your eyes covered as best you can, and take these," he added as he took out his own tutor glasses and handed them to the teen. Sylvester reluctantly put them on, blinking his eyes as he tried to adjust to them.

"There, you should be fine now," Ciel muttered.

Sylvester stared at his bodyguard. "But they'll recognize the two of you."

"You need only get inside to reach Piers," Ciel replied. "We shall wait for you to kill him, then we will come to your rescue after you've taken care of what you must. You obviously are not likely to bring him out by force, so simply put the gun to his head." Ciel grimaced at Sylvester's look of indignation. "We would be wasting time going back to the manor and retrieving disguises of our own. Just get in, shoot the brat and be done with it."

Sylvester gave in with a sigh. "If you truly think this will work, then very well." He looked up at Ciel with a firm stare. "I can do this. Trust me, Ciel."

Ciel nodded shortly in response. Sylvester prepped himself for the final mission, dipping his leather fedora forward to shadow his eyes, which were unfocused because of the new glasses that finished off the incognito disguise. After he adjusted everything to his liking, he entered through the doors of the palace and searched with blurred vision for the ballroom.

"I'd better see clearly by the time I get there," he thought aloud in a tight whisper. If two demons were to be summoned at the sound of a gunshot, he wanted to be sure he shot the right person. _If I have to make this especially quick, then so much for putting that sorry bastard through torture, _he added in silent bitterness.

"What a lovely party," said an English woman to an aristocrat as they ate in what appeared to be a diner. "And indeed an exquisite palace!"

"Excuse me, ma'dam... sir," Sylvester began awkwardly to them both. "Do you happen to know where the ballroom is at?"

"At the end of the hall, then to the left, my boy," said the nobleman, who then turned his attention back to the noblewoman.

"Thank you, mister," Sylvester replied with a nod before continuing on. His eyesight was still not adjusting when he reached the ballroom. _Damn this! This is why I hate glasses..._

The earl stopped as he took in the sight of the beautiful ballroom, which came in many shades of browns, creams and golds, with silver-and-white chandeliers and a grand piano with the pianist playing a lovely tune everyone danced to. Sylvester observed the dazzling and elegant dances of the nobles for a moment longer before continuing on his way to murder his rival.

_I... can't see... _Sylvester dared raise his glasses a moment to get a better view. He could hardly focus on a singular face for long as the dancers stepped and twirled every which way. Sylvester set his glasses back in place before crisscrossing between the nobles, some of which gave him curious glances. Sylvester found himself at the other end of the ballroom without a single glimpse of Piers.

He jumped up in fright when a hand found his shoulder. "W-Wha..."

He stared up at the same man as just before, the burgundy-haired stranger with black eyes. He gave the child a discouraging stare.

"Please leave now, before my master gets upset any further," he said gravely.

"I wish to see Piers," Sylvester said. "He is your master?"

"Yes, but he does not wish to see you," the strange man returned.

Sylvester's narrowed his eyes coldly. "I'm afraid I don't much care."

"I shall see to this, if I must."

Sylvester took out his handgun at the sound of a new voice. But before he could aim his gun for Piers, it was taken from his hands before his eyes.

"How very inappropriate to bring such a thing to a ball," said the man contemptuously as he overlooked the stolen weapon in his hand.

"That's quite enough, Templar," Piers ordered as he approached alongside Winter. "Don't go waving that thing around when we have an audience."

"Yes. Quite sorry, sir," Templar apologized, bowing respectfully to his master.

"How daring of you to come here intent on murder," Piers observed, turning his attention to the earl. "Though I might expect such a ludicrous act from you, earl Carpenter. Or are you only a former earl, having been stripped of your title after your outlandish crimes?"

"I don't care how anyone judges my status," Sylvester replied calmly. "In the end, that will not matter in the slightest. ...Shall we take this outside, where no one will hear our conversation?"

Piers nodded. "Though I would like to reveal your true identity and remove that pitiful disguise of yours, I'm rather interested in what you have to say. Let's go outside, then." All four left the palace together.

"I don't think you'd remember Templar," Piers continued once they'd reached the woods outside. They kept within the shadows of the trees and out of the pale sunlight. "He was the one who saved us from Clinton's massacre, but you were unconscious for most of the escape."

"No, I don't remember him, but I don't care to, either," Sylvester responded, taking off the glasses that by now had this head throbbing. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You took Winter from her room one night and took her away to Norway, and by some chance she agreed to go with you, though she was with me at the time."

"You should have known all along, although your pride wouldn't allow you to..." Piers claimed. "...That Winter always had feelings for me, above her own betrothed, but more importantly, above _you_."

Sylvester looked over to where Winter was standing. "Is... this true?"

Winter uncomfortably met his gaze. "Yes," she replied with a surprisingly firm voice.

Sylvester could hardly believe a word he was hearing. He nearly believed himself to be asleep, about to wake from this nightmare of a child who sold his soul to exact revenge on what was never worth his while. In this very moment Sylvester realized that, even if he could kill Piers now, it would no longer amount to anything in his mind, all due to Winter's newly discovered feelings for him. This was the truth that'd been kept from him and therefore costed him his life.

"You won't die easily," Sylvester observed aloud as he realized Templar was the demon Piers had contracted with. "But not to fear. A rat has to die one way or another."

"Just get over yourself, you unrelenting brat," Piers snapped. "It's clear I've won this battle."

"I wouldn't say you've won quite yet." Sylvester dipped his head back and wrenched his bangs away from his forehead, revealing his and Ciel's contract mark. "Come at once, Ciel!"

And so a young demonic bodyguard accompanied by an older demonic butler emerged from out of the woods, meeting with the group of four.

"I can't get to Piers with a demon on his side," Sylvester explained. "I order you to kill the demon, Templar!"

Ciel looked back at Sebastian. "I order you to help me."

Piers glanced over at Templar. "I order you to kill them both."

...

_"Yes, my lord."_


	25. Chapter 25

The showdown of three demons waged on in the woods, out of sight and hearing range of the palace visitors. The fight lasted from that morning and throughout the day until dark. All the while Ciel silently pleaded for no spasms to interrupt this battle, though the constant faint pain that never left him was increasing with each hour. Sebastian took over in an instant, well aware of his master's condition and he himself was not yet suffering such dangerous attacks.

"I shall risk infection if it means protecting my master," Templar proclaimed as he threw his fist at Sebastian's jaw. Sebastian blocked the attack with an arm; immediately the butler launched himself at his rival and pinned him against a tree, his gloved hands locked with Templar's.

"What devotion you have toward such a pour soul," Sebastian commented with a glance at Piers. "Allow me to hold you to your words." Sebastian dipped his head closer to Templar and bit down into the subdued demon's throat. Ciel stood back with alarm as blood spurted out of Templar's neck, along with breathy screams and wild once-black eyes that now glowed fuchsia.

"Is this what you meant?" Sebastian asked, grinning, as he let the demon collapse to the ground, infected saliva and demonic blood seeping from the newly inflicted bite mark.

"I will... not bow..." Templar mumbled. The injured and now-sick demon rose back up to his feet, blood dripping from his lips as he spoke. Sebastian wiped the other's blood from his own lips as Templar staggered forward.

Ciel ran up to and jumped at Templar from behind, wrapping his arms firmly around his neck. Bloodied hands grabbed Ciel's wrists as Templar tried to throw him off; Sebastian came to his master's rescue at once. Templar left the ground with a single leap, going overhead Sebastian and gracefully landing atop a tree.

"You're not going to win," Ciel declared as he delve a hand within the throbbing wound. Templar, overcome by pain, stumbled over the winter tree branches as he struggled to maintain his balance and throw off the demon child all at once.

"Master?" came Sebastian's voice. "Shall I assist you?"

Ciel glanced over to a nearby tree where Sebastian stood observing them both. "No," Ciel replied. "I can handle this."

"Rotten brat," Templar choked out. "You're going to die tonight."

Templar closed his fingers over the collar of Ciel's shirt, then forcefully removed him from his back, holding Ciel out in front of him with a pained grimace. Ciel stared back at him as though bored.

"Are you quite finished?" Ciel asked. Templar narrowed his eyes with irritation at Ciel's indifferent attitude.

"Are you sure you're alright, my lord?" Sebastian questioned his master. "Shall I come and get you now?"

"No. Keep away, Sebastian," Ciel replied to his butler. "I know perfectly well what I'm doing."

"In that case," Templar said, "I'll have much more fun removing those limbs from your small body."

"Oh?"

Once again Ciel plunged his hand back inside the bite-mark, opening it wider yet. Blood gushed out after it, spilling over Ciel's arm and making him wince. Becoming a demon hadn't seemed to completely be rid of his weak stomach. Resisting the urge to vomit, Ciel locked his hand inside the wound and pulled himself directly toward Templar. Ciel then proceeded to bite down on the uninjured opposite side of Templar's neck.

The stinging of tainted saliva worsened as a new dosage was inserted. Ciel was dropped at once so Templar could place his hands to his neck; the younger demon averted his eyes from the torn flesh and consistent gagging as he leaped for the tree in which Sebastian was perched. When he looked back again, Templar's eyes had rolled back inside his head and he'd fallen to his knees, still stop the tree and within its sheltering branches.

"Templar!" Piers called out; his voice hadn't a hint of sympathy. "Get up off your ass at once and kill them both! I ordered you so!"

"Sylvester!" Ciel called down to his master. "The demon's down. Kill the brat already."

Sylvester bent down and picked up his handgun that Templar had dropped before engaging in the demonic battle. He aimed it for Piers without a trace of hesitation. "Do you have any last words for this world?"

Piers grimaced, peering back to where Winter stood silently with wide eyes. "I'm not sorry for what I did."

Sylvester noticed the small gasp issued from Winter. _Was that not aimed at me...? _Sylvester thought, though only half-interested.

"That's rather brave of you," Sylvester commented. "Showing no fear nor regrets when faced with your death. You don't qualm over any of your actions? Very well done." He continued after Piers scoffed him, "Though you're quite impressive, your life choices are about to backfire on you."

"Can you not say the same?" Piers asked.

Sylvester huffed before pulling the trigger that sent Piers to the ground. Ciel noticed Templar exclaim in alarm in response to the gunshot, which turned to pained coughing as he was forced to grab a branch of the tree so not to collapse from the overwhelming pain.

"Might as well end him as well," Ciel muttered to Sebastian. To their surprise, Templar managed the strength to return to his feet and stumble down the tree. For a moment he sat in the grass, leaned up against the tree's trunk, his eyelids flickering over the whites of his eyes. Demonic blood continued to ooze down his throat and mouth and drenched into his clothing, then dribbled down into the grass. It wasn't too long until Templar's head bobbed and he sank into an eternal unconsciousness.

"It's over now," Ciel announced to Sylvester as he and Sebastian made their way down their tree.

"I suppose so," Sylvester murmured. He glared over toward where Winter still stood. "And you?"

Tears were streaming down the young woman's face. "So you also made a contract, and this is what for? You sold your soul for revenge?"

"That's exactly what I did," Sylvester confirmed. "Although now it seems it's been done in vain."

Winter wiped her drenched face with the side of her hand. "You still don't know what happened that night."

"You weren't planning on telling me, remember?"

"As Ciel said... it's over now. There's no harm in letting you know the truth after all of that wasted time."

Sylvester eyes bore down at his own shoes, refusing to return Winter's gaze. His hand holding the handgun swayed ominously by his side. "What a little bitch you are," he sneered at last. Sylvester lifted his chin to reveal eyes that burned emerald. "Waiting up until now to take pity on me."

"Whether I wanted to or not, I couldn't explain myself before," Winter told him. "Or it would threaten my own life."

"And what the hell does that mean?" Sylvester muttered.

"I hadn't gone with Piers willingly... I was kidnapped in the end." Sylvester's eyes grew wide as she continued, "My parents had gone and left the house that night, and Piers broke in with Templar. He stabbed me when I protested; I had never wanted to go with him. Eventually he decided to beat me and I just... lied on the floor, crying. He threatened to have Templar kill me if I refused to go with him." More tears filled Winter's gray eyes. "He had Templar show his true form in my presence, which was in itself enough to scare me into running off with him. When we got back to his house, he demanded our marriage, otherwise the demon would step in again..."

"He was also the person who'd dropped the compass in my room," Winter continued after a short pause. "Anyhow, Piers told me I could never see you again. He was jealous of our relationship, and wanted to be sure we never had contact. I was forced into telling my parents that Piers and I were moving out of the country in love, and that you were dangerous and to convince you the blood in my room and the compass was evidence of a kidnapping. With you not knowing the identity of the compasses's owner, it would be that much difficult to find suspects. They also told the city police you were insane and anything you mentioned of a kidnapping could go ignored. ...Piers hadn't permitted me to tell any of my other relatives, who all thought nothing had changed. In the end we all knew you'd never get anywhere with your case, and Piers would have gotten away with his plan..."

"If..." Winter went on, "...If you hadn't come to my parents' house when I was home visiting and going to the palace ball. I knew you would've killed my parents if I hadn't done something, and I thought the only way to stop you was to reveal myself. Yes, I care for my parents' sake more than my own if Piers found out I revealed myself to you. As far as I know, Templar hadn't informed his 'master' of this when he found you and I talking. Nothing really changed until we met up at the palace ball. Templar wanted to keep you away from Piers, but failed in doing so."

"So you were being threatened this entire time?" Sylvester asked.

"Yes. All because of jealousy," Winter replied, gaining back control of herself and calming down. "I'm sorry if you don't believe this so, but I believe your troubles were worth all of this. You saved me from despair, and you saved yourself from living a lie."

"Even so," Sylvester whispered. "My soul cannot be saved."

Ciel slowly made his way over to the two despairing teenagers. "She was the girl I met the hotel we had stayed at. You were just upstairs from her," he told Sylvester. "If you had told me what she looked like, we could have straightened this out much quicker."

Sylvester cursed under his breath. He glanced at Winter for a while longer before easing his stare. "You never had feelings for Piers, then?"

Winter shook her head. "I promise... I have loved you ever since we got together after Piers and I broke up. Neither the forced marriage he arranged nor an arranged marriage with a betrothed could damage my love for you... and I only hope you feel the same."

"I..." Sylvester's lips twitched as he lost his train of thought. As he pulled himself back together again, he returned his handgun to its sheath. "Yes, I do feel the same."

Winter gasped as she ran for the teen and gathered him in her arms; Sylvester returned the hug. Ciel was unable to recall a time he'd seen Sylvester as happy as he was at that very moment. Perhaps he had never been truly happy until that point.

"Yes..." Ciel began awkwardly. "This is all very sentimental..."

Sylvester let go of Winter as he peered back at his bodyguard. "Ciel..."

A silence fell upon the woods. A minute passed before Ciel broke it once more, "I shall give you some time to say your goodbyes. Meet me once you've finished up here. ...Come, Sebastian."

"Sir." Sebastian obediently followed his master out of the woods and back toward the now-empty palace that glowed in the dim light of the moon. Ciel leaned up against the wall of the building as he awaited his master's return. He kept an eye on the two as they talked.

"This is your first soul," Sebastian said suddenly, making Ciel jump slightly.

"Yes," he replied. "But there's no possible way it's been worth it." Ciel glanced up stiffly the older demon. "I..."

Sebastian blinked. "Sir?"

"I..." Ciel stammered. "I'm..."

Sebastian grinned as he found what Ciel was getting at. He elegantly bowed to his master. "I accept the apology, my lord."

"You do?" Ciel questioned. "We're both looking to an early death, and you don't want revenge for putting you through this?"

Sebastian offered a stare that suggested scorn as he straightened back up. Ciel tensed as his butler did not reply. _Is he going to kill me after all?_

"Sebastian..." Ciel spoke his butler's name.

Sebastian turned his head away and sighed softly, releasing a cloud of breath into the cold, crisp night air. "Please don't worry about it."

Ciel swallowed nervously. "You hate me."

Sebastian peered down at him while facing straight ahead. "I do not-"

"Yes, you do," Ciel interrupted, turning on Sebastian and taking a step back from instinctive precaution. Sebastian turned to face him now, but Ciel only took another couple of steps backward.

"Do not make matters worse, my lord," Sebastian said, narrowing his eyes. "Perhaps your being infected is provoking this wariness?"

"I'm not imagining things, and don't think to convince me otherwise," Ciel retorted. "I'm bloody damn sure you'd rather not perish for the likes of me."

Ciel stopped talking as Sebastian put a hand to his own chest in apparent pain. "Sebastian? What is it?"

"Nothing, sir. Do wait here a moment."

Ciel gaped uncertainly as Sebastian left for beside the building, away from Ciel's sight. Determined to the utmost not to lose track of his butler again, Ciel followed him for the brush of the woods opposite from the side Winter and Sylvester stood at. Ciel caught up with Sebastian as they rounded the side of the palace, out of the humans' sight.

"Sebastian!" Ciel exclaimed, realizing Sebastian was having an attack. "No... no!"

"No... it's alright..." Sebastian offered Ciel a reassuring smile. "I will pull through."

"Sebastian," Ciel repeated the demon's name. In but a whisper, he continued, "You can't leave me..."

Sebastian picked up on the words, then lifted Ciel's chin with two fingers. "Please just go back and see to your master. I will be there shortly. ...It would be most improper to continue to see me in this unsightly state."

"No. You must come with me." Ciel looked on with intense desperation. "I'm not going to leave you here. I order you to follow me back where to they are."

When Sebastian met Ciel's eyes again, the glow of fuchsia caught him off his guard. "But sir..." he protested softly, and with a bittersweet grin.

Ciel didn't allow himself to be phased. "At once, Sebastian. Don't make me repeat myself."

Though he'd expected Sebastian to turn on him, the butler instead silently staggered back to where they were last waiting for the teens to finish up. To Ciel's immediate relief, they were both where they'd been last and they hadn't run off.

"I'm sorry," Ciel offered in a mutter to Sebastian.

"I, as well."

Ciel gasped as black-feathered wings unfolded from his butler's shoulder blades, ripping the fabric of his clothes and flapping softly as they reached their full length and height.

"No! You mustn't!" Ciel went for Sebastian as he took flight. The young demon managed to wrap his arms around the older demon's neck before they both ultimately left the ground. Ciel opened his eyes only when they were airborne, meeting the contemptuous gaze Sebastian offered in return.

"Sebastian, I command you to stop!" Ciel exclaimed, pressing his face against Sebastian's neck in fear of what would happen next.

"I must apologize," Sebastian responded curtly. "But I no longer abide with your orders."

_You're forcing me to decide... _Ciel thought, swallowing hard. _You want to see if I will let go._

"Please don't give me that look, master," Sebastian asked of him. "You must now make the decision of whether or not you wish to see me again."


	26. Chapter 26

**The epilogue is just after this chapter!**

* * *

Ciel felt himself become enclosed in hovering black feathers as he and Sebastian rose higher into the night sky. A deathly glow illuminated the butler's inquiring stare; Ciel returned it with his own reddish gaze.

"You abandon me now, Sebastian... it took you longer than I expected."

"I have not abandoned you..." Sebastian told Ciel solemnly. "You are to consume a soul you've earned, and once you've done so... you will crave more. I've had my fill of this world, my lord..." Sebastian narrowed his eyes firmly. "I do not wish to stand by and watch as you gobble down each soul available in a desperate fashion until your last dying breath."

"So what you're saying is... if I give in to hunger, you want no part of it."

Sebastian nodded affirmatively. "That is correct, sir."

"I see now." Ciel let his eyes travel over the palace and the waiting children below. "And have you felt this way since you discovered I was infected?" When Sebastian confirmed this with another nod, Ciel continued, "That entire time you didn't want me to eat Sylvester's soul..." Ciel looked up at Sebastian once more. "No, Sebastian... I will not go on some wild-goose chase after I've tasted a soul. After I'm through with Sylvester, we will do as we please until our last moment together."

Sebastian betrayed a questioning stare. "Are you quite sure of this, my lord?"

"I've never been more sure of anything. Come, Sebastian... let's finish this so that I at least may gain something from our suffering."

Ciel held on tightly as Sebastian drifted back to the ground. Black wings withdrew once they'd landed and Ciel made for where Sylvester and Winter were still speaking. Ciel came to an abrupt halt as he realized Sylvester's timid state.

"Ciel..." Sylvester whispered. "I should never have asked this of you."

"It's alright, my lord..." Ciel muttered.

"Call me Sylvester, if you will," Sylvester corrected with a smile. Ciel tilted his head slightly in puzzlement; tears had begun strolling down his master's cheeks.

"Sylvester, then... are you ready?"

"Not quite yet." Ciel blinked as Sylvester inattentively took hold of Winter's hand. "If you still have the will to take pity on me, won't you allow Winter and I to go down to the lake? We wish to make this a last date, of sorts." Sylvester continued after noticing the look of disapproval Ciel gave him, "I know that you don't understand the way we feel, but if these are the remaining hours of my life, then I wish to make them worthwhile."

"Not everyone is permitted such desires," Ciel murmured. "But very well... come back by the manor tomorrow. Sebastian and I will have gathered our belongings."

Sylvester smiled. "Thank you, Ciel... I appreciate your kindness." The earl laughed when Ciel scoffed his words in embarrassment.

"It was not an act of kindness. As you said, you are in a pitiful position at the moment... I was merely offering you the chance to wrap up loose ends with your girlfriend."

Winter smiled as she ran up to Ciel and kissed him on the cheek. "You are kind, Ciel."

Ciel blushed wildly at the sudden act. "I am not kind!" he exclaimed, pushing away from her. "Now get out of here."

Winter laughed softly as Sylvester approached them both. She ran back for the woods, though Sylvester stayed beside Ciel for a moment longer.

"You were like a little brother to me... almost," Sylvester whispered in his bodyguard's ear. "Did you ever feel the same...?"

Ciel gave a contemptuous snort. "If there was ever a time I suggested the least bit of interest in you, it was obviously faked. Any affection a demon offers to its meal is all but an act. The same went for Sebastian and I while I was still living..." Ciel's gaze drifted away toward the ground. "Yes, while I was still living..."

Sylvester bobbed his head in acceptance of this answer. "I see now. Still... thank you for everything."

He left Ciel with those words and set off for the lake alongside Winter. Ciel watched until they were gone before releasing a sigh. "That's all I can handle for one day. Now then, Sebastian," Ciel said to his butler. "Let's head back to the estate and see to the animals."

Sebastian bowed. "Certainly, sir."

Not much time passed before they arrived back at the mansion. They were greeted at the door by the overly-excited Pluto.

"We can hand him off to Winter," Ciel said at once, shoving the puppy aside with a foot. "Hopefully she'll take both him and the cat..."

Sebastian grinned at this. "Yes, the cat reminded me of you, my lord. Did you ever take the chance to look at its eyes?"

Ciel glared up at him. "I did, but the fact a creature resembles me so does not permit you to bring it into our care in such disregard to my allergies."

Though Sebastian put a hand to his chest respectfully, the grin did not fade. The butler placed the cat in his arms as Ciel looked over the house. "I'll encourage Winter to help in convincing his relatives that he wasn't a bad person, though he was..."

Sebastian blinked questioningly. "Sir? You wish to go out of your way to make the earl worth remembering?"

"I'm not going out of my way for anything," Ciel retorted. "It's something I wish doing, alright, Sebastian?"

Sebastian nodded softly. "Of course."

Ciel felt his thumb for his family ring, only to find it wasn't there. _How odd... _Ciel recalled leaving both his rings back at his own mansion once he became a demon. He spent months without the rings, and suddenly he expected his thumb ring to be intact.

_Young master!_

Ciel gasped as he remembered the annoying but friendly voices of the three servants, Mey-rin, Finny and Bard.

_Hoh hoh hoh..._

Tanaka? But they weren't anywhere near Ciel... they couldn't even be alive...

Ciel closed his eyes tightly shut as memories of more people from his human life returned to haunt him. Was that... Madam Red? Lau? Familiar voices took over his own thoughts. _Why is this happening to me...?! _Ciel thought, closing his own ears with his hands; the voices did not fade in the slightest. "Stop talking!" he said aloud. Ciel could hardly hear Sebastian's concerned call as voices etched their way inside his mind.

Though began to fade almost as soon as they started, the echoes chilled Ciel to the core. Every event in his life had led up to this moment... he entered this world a human, and would leave a demon.

"I'm quite curious..." Ciel began once he recovered. "What say you, Sebastian? Shall we pay a visit to Phantomhive manor?"

...

"I haven't fished in quite some time."

Sylvester kept his eyes focused straight ahead as Winter spoke went on ahead of him. They walked through the snow and toward the deck set out over the lake. Patches of grass in the melting snow offered pretty arrays of flowers, yet Sylvester ignored the welcoming colors.

"I don't exactly feel like fishing..." Sylvester replied to Winter. "Why don't we just take a walk together around the lake? I believe that memorable enough."

Winter gave an inquiring stare. "Okay then... that's fine, too!" Her expression lightened up immediately, despite the circumstances. "...Let's just forget our troubling pasts for the day and enjoy each others' company."

Sylvester nodded and they approached the lake in silence. Whilst Winter tried to enjoy herself, Sylvester's mind was set back. There were many memories - either disturbing or infuriating - that wouldn't leave his brain alone. He didn't want Winter to notice, but his tense silence offered an entirely different scenario.

"Are you sure you're alright, Sylvester?" Winter asked.

_Who ever said I was alright? _Then Sylvester realized it was his fault their date had been so awkward at first, after all. He had to make up for being so inhospitable. "Yeah, sorry," he muttered. "I should be taking your advice and not worry."

She smiled at this. "That's the spirit..."

Sylvester nearly winced, wondering how she could so easily fake a smile. "So if things turned out the way we'd hoped for, and you hadn't married Piers, you would still want to be my wife?"

"I still do," Winter told him, and to prove a point removed the wedding ring from her finger and tossed it to the lake without a second glance. Still, Sylvester wondered, _Why did she wait this long to take it off?_

"I don't have a second thought about this," Winter said. "Not at all. I would actually like to marry you before... _it_ happens..."

"Ciel isn't all that patient of a boy," Sylvester pointed out. "He would probably make eating my soul that much more painful..."

"I don't understand how one, even as young as you, could surrender your soul to... a beast..."

"Ciel is different," Sylvester declared, raising his voice as he defended his bodyguard. "I don't believe him a beast..."

"I didn't mean it like that," Winter said at once. "I actually like Ciel... I believe he's misunderstood, somewhat like you."

Sylvester calmed down slightly. "Yes, that's what I believe as well."

Sylvester gasped as a heavy breeze removed his fedora from his head. Winter laughed and caught the dark gray hat in her fingers with a single move of her hand.

"Better be careful," she laughed. "Things tend to slip away first chance they have."

Sylvester stood speechless while Winter placed the leather fedora firmly over his head. "There! ...Shall we keep going?"

"Yes..." Sylvester continued walking with unblinking eyes as Winter went on ahead.

"Spring starts next month," she announced. "I love watching everything come back to life..."

"You have a thing for nature, don't you?" Sylvester observed. "Or have you always been this jittery and I just haven't noticed?"

"I'm happy when I need be," Winter explained plainly. "Or when the mood needs to be lightened."

"I've never thought of life before like how you said," Sylvester said suddenly. "That things slip away from us... the first chance they have."

"I was only teasing..." Winter gave him a worried stare.

"I know," Sylvester replied with a newly-found smile of his own making. "Let's just... enjoy ourselves, right?"

Winter returned the smile before nodding and looking back ahead. Sylvester bowed his head whilst looking over the ground. His fingers found the handgun protected within its sheath.

"All good things slip from our reach at some point in our lives, don't they?"

_But it never phased me._

...

Sebastian stopped walking once the Phantomhive estate reached their line of sight. "We're here, sir."

Ciel looked up from where he was settled in Sebastian's arms. Said butler continued down the driveway.

"Strange..." Ciel muttered. "I would think the servants had burned the place down."

"It appears they managed well after we'd gone," Sebastian replied. "Perhaps out of their unrelenting devotion to please you, my lord."

Ciel brushed off his butler's words with a scoff. "...There haven't been many of the infected about, I see," Ciel commented suddenly.

"Yes, I take it the grim reapers handled that, as well," Sebastian put in. Ciel blinked when he suddenly stopped walking yet again.

"Now what is-" Ciel gulped when he caught sight of a figure with a heavy coat hiding their face sitting on the steps leading up to his mansion. Sebastian, still holding his master, took cover behind the front fountain before the figure could look up.

"Who the hell is at my manor?" Ciel exclaimed in a whisper, keeping his head low.

"It's hard to say," Sebastian replied. "But they seemed quite transfixed on young master's rings."

Ciel looked up at the butler crouched over him. "They have my rings?!"

Sebastian blinked. "Do you wish me to retrieve them, my lord?"

Ciel clenched his teeth angrily. "Of course not; they could burn them for all I care. I only wonder who could be at my mansion..."

"Shall I introduce myself, then?" Sebastian insisted. "It should not be a problem."

Ciel thought for a minute before nodding his approval. "Fine, then. Just be quick about it."

"Of course, sir."

Ciel kept low as his credible butler rose from hiding and walked calmly over to where the figure was resting on the steps. Sebastian raised a hand when they rose from their spot; after a short exchange of words, they both retreated inside the mansion.

"Damn this," Ciel breathed, rubbing his forehead edgily as he sat in wait. "Nothing can ever be done on quick terms."

Ciel looked up at the rising sun. Night had already gone and passed, giving way to a new morning. _That brat had better be done soon... _Ciel thought curtly. He only hoped this would be a worthwhile soul.

Sebastian returned just shortly after with a small grin.

"Well?" Ciel prompted.

"It was... Lady Elizabeth, sir."

"Lizzy?" Ciel exclaimed. "But... how could she...?"

"She stopped by today to visit the place in which her memories lived on," Sebastian explained. "She's in poor health, from what I observed. She was quite surprised to see me, as well."

"What did she say?" Ciel asked.

"I did not tell her you are still living, not did I give out my reason for being alive. As I still appear young, she must be puzzled."

Ciel bowed his head in understanding. "I do not want her to see me quite yet. We will simply wait some time and-"

A sharp twinge in Ciel's left hand - the marked hand - caught him off guard. "What is this...?" he gasped.

It twinged again, much more vividly; suddenly his demonic instincts told Ciel exactly what was taking place. _Sylvester... how did you manage it this time..._

Ciel didn't take it too seriously until he realized it would not stop, and that his master's life was somehow in danger. "Sebastian!" Ciel yelled, though his butler was just beside him. "We must leave-"

_...Ciel..._

The young demon gasped, his eyes growing unblinking as he looked down in disbelief at his contract mark.

_...You were like a little brother to me, almost. Did you ever feel the same?_

"You fool..." Ciel breathed. "No..."

The contract mark had vanished from the demon's hand.


	27. Epilogue

"My lord...?"

Ciel held the puppy Pluto in his arms as both he and Sebastian walked down town after a last visit to Carpenter manor. Sebastian had released the stray cat, for his master wanted only for the puppy to be brought along. And now night had befallen upon them once again.

"It's finished," Ciel replied to his bewildered butler. "I took care of everything. ...I told his relatives he and his girlfriend were caught in a car accident. They're holding his funeral tonight. I have no interest in going," he added when Sebastian opened his mouth to speak. "I made sure to be rid of the gun so there were no suspicions," Ciel continued. "...His death was but an accident."

Sebastian offered a soft, inquiring stare. "But why, sir?"

Ciel glared up impatiently. "Why what?"

"Why stand for your master even now? He deprives you his soul and yet you continue to make his death seem less cruel. You have it appear an accident to his relatives to hide his guilt. Why do this now?"

"I did not stand up for him, nor did I do it simply because it was the right thing to do. It was something I thought necessary to bid him farewell. But enough of this," Ciel went on. "He is good and gone, and I don't want to hear another word of him. Do I make my self clear, Sebastian?"

Sebastian bowed his head, grinning. "Perfectly, sir."

"Now then, what did you find out about the infected?"

"I spoke with the reapers as you had instructed," Sebastian began. "They were unable to find any trace of sick demons still living..." Sebastian grinned. "It seems we're the only remaining survivors of this plague, my lord."

Ciel blinked. "Is that so?" He sighed, pressing Pluto closer to him. "That won't be the case for much longer."

"Now, I wouldn't say that," Sebastian attempted to reassure his master. "If we've lasted this long, the chances of dying now are quite low."

"Don't offer me your delusional notions," Ciel retorted as a new spasm of pain aroused inside him. Ciel handed Pluto off to Sebastian to lift his shirt; the blemish that marked his belly was still intact. "We may very well die without our sanity."

Sebastian removed a glove with his teeth and touched a finger to Ciel's exposed reddish skin.

"I sense waves of immense heat released from this," Sebastian admitted. "Does your head hurt at all?"

"No..." Ciel told him. "Does yours?"

"Not so much."

"But that doesn't mean we mustn't worry," Ciel went on, removing Sebastian's finger from his belly and letting his shirt back down over the blemished skin. "Unless all you say is an act and you know something I don't?"

"Certainly not," Sebastian assured him, placing the un-gloved hand not holding Pluto to his chest. "If I knew our deaths were absolute, I would not try and convince you otherwise."

"So you stand by what you say," Ciel inquired. "That our case is not as serious as if another demon were infected. ...We are different."

"That is - as I believe to be - correct, sir"

"Fine then, I'll take your word for it for the time being," Ciel said as he took Pluto back. He gazed down at the puppy for a moment longer. "...I do hope that Elizabeth likes my gift."

"I'm sure the real gift will be seeing you alive again, my lord," Sebastian said, smiling.

Ciel nodded. "Indeed." Ciel stopped as his estate came into sight. Elizabeth was still there, sitting on the steps leading up to Phantomhive manor.

"Why have we come here, sir?" Sebastian asked his master.

Ciel rested his gaze on the mansion ahead. "What I believe currently is..." he began. "If I am Lizzy's presence, I will not lose my memories. She will remind me who I am when I need the encouragement, and hopefully that will be all I need."

Ciel turned to his butler now. "You don't have to come with me, you know. I'll have enough here to pull through."

"I am the butler to Phantomhive," Sebastian said monotonously. "I shall not leave my master's side."

Ciel stared at him for a moment longer before curtly nodding. "Very well. I'll be needing you, anyhow."

Sebastian knelt down. "It is my own given pleasure to serve you, young master."

Ciel nodded again, then turned to face the mansion he would soon reclaim as his own.

"If it comes down to it," Ciel said, "We can lose our minds together."

* * *

**So what did you think? Too long? Hope you liked reading it and be sure to review what you thought overall! I might make a shorter sequel to this eventually, too.**


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